The Day After Tomorrow_ A Novel - Allan Folsom [122]
After dinner, Lybarger, Uta, Dr. Salettl and the other guests retired to the second-floor library for coffee and a dual piano recital by Eric and Edward.
Joanna and Von Holden, as employees, were not invited and excused for the evening.
“Doctor Salettl told me he expects Mr. Lybarger to be able to walk without a cane by this Friday,” Joanna said as she watched Uta take Lybarger’s arm and help him up the stairs.
“Will he?” Von Holden looked at her.
“I hope so, but it depends on Mr, Lybarger. I don’t know what’s so important about Friday. What difference would another few days make?”
“I want to show you something,” Von Holden said, ignoring her question and leading her to a side door near the far end of the dining room. Entering a paneled hallway they walked to where a small door opened to a flight of stairs. Offering his hand, Von Holden led Joanna down a few stairs to another door, which in turn opened on a narrow passageway that led under the front drive and away from the house.
“Where are we going?” she asked quietly.
Von Holden said nothing and Joanna felt a quiver of excitement as they walked on. Pascal Von Holden was a man who could attract and have nearly any woman he wanted. He lived in a world of extremely rich and beautiful people, who were nearly royalty. Joanna was nothing but ordinary, a physical therapist with a southwestern twang. She’d had her foray with him last night and she knew she couldn’t have been anything special. So why would he come back for more? If that’s what he was doing.
At the far end of the corridor, steps led up. At the top was still another door, and Von Holden opened it. Standing aside, he ushered her in, then closed the door behind them.
Joanna stood open-mouthed, looking up. They were in a room taken up entirely by an enormous waterwheel driven by the flow of a deep and fast-running stream.
“The system provides independent electric power for the estate,” Von Holden said. “Be careful, the floor is quite slippery.”
Taking her arm, Von Holden led her across to another door. Opening it, he reached inside and turned on the light. Inside was a room made of wood and stone, twenty feet square. In the middle was a pool of churning water, a cutout from the stream, with stone benches all around. Pointing to a wooden door, Von Holden said, “In there is a sauna. All very natural and good for the health.”
Joanna could feel herself blush and at the same time feel the heat rise within her.
“I didn’t bring anything to change into,” she said.
Von Holden smiled. “Ah, but you see, that’s the marvel of Uta’s designs.”
“I don’t get it.”
“The dress is form-fitting, and made to be worn without underclothing, is it not?”
Joanna blushed again. “Yes. But—”
“Form always follows function.” Von Holden reached up, gently fingering one of the golden tassels at Joanna’s shoulder. “This decorative tassel.”
Joanna knew he was doing something, but she had no idea what. “What about it?”
“If one were to give it the slightest pull . . .”
Suddenly Joanna’s dress undraped and slid as elegantly to the floor as a theatrical curtain.
“You see, ready for bath and sauna.” Von Holden stood back and let his eyes run over her.
Joanna felt desire as she never had, more—if it was possible—than the night before. Never had the presence of a man felt so devastatingly erotic. At that moment she would have done anything he asked, and more.
“Would you like to undress me? Turnabout is fair play, isn’t that how it goes?”
“Yes . . . ,” Joanna heard herself whisper. “God, yes.”
Then Von Holden touched her, and she came to him and undressed him and they made love in the pool and