very pretty, with
lilac stripes on a cream background and sprigs of rose, lemon-yellow, and
green. She laid it out carefully on the bed so as not to wrinkle it, then began
to strip off her drab gray dress.
A sharp knock on the door startled her, and she
immediately thought of Garrett. Her heart began to pound. If he had come to ask
her to have luncheon with him . . .
"Who's there?" she called, rushing to the
wardrobe. She grabbed a white cambric robe and whirled it around her shoulders.
"Glenis, lass," her servant called through
the door. "Ye've slept so late I thought I should wake ye. I dinna want ye
to miss the christening."
Madeleine unlocked the door and pulled it open. She was
relieved, yet she felt an odd twinge of disappointment. She shrugged it off.
"Ye're just in time to help me into this gown, Glenis. I fear 'tis one
time I'll not be able to get by without those blasted stays."
Glenis's furrowed face broke into a smile, and she
chuckled as she set a tall pitcher filled with warm water on the washstand. She
turned to the armoire and pulled out the top drawer. "So ye'll be dressin'
like the true lady ye are, eh, Maddie?" she teased, filling her arms with
linen underclothes and a starched petticoat. She plopped them on the bed.
"Well, let's be at it."
After Madeleine quickly bathed, she drew on the lace-edged
chemise and drawers, then held firmly to the bedpost as Glenis laced her stays
with an astounding vigor that belied her advancing age. "Ye'll strangle me
for sure if ye pull any tighter," she protested. "I can hardly
breathe."
" 'Tis the proper way," Glenis replied,
smiling her approval as she tied the starched petticoat around Madeleine's
narrow waist. "No wider than a man's two hands may span it."
Madeleine rolled her eyes at that statement but said
nothing. She would not spoil Glenis's enjoyment. She slipped into the gown,
adjusted the square-cut bodice which was a bit low for her taste, then finally
drew on her best pair of brogues. She quickly undid her braid, brushing her
hair until it shone, and secured it with two silver combs.
"Ye look lovely, Maddie!" Glenis exclaimed.
"I wish I could see ye like this more often. Ye're as pretty as a
picture."
" 'Tis not practical, and ye well know it,"
Madeleine objected mildly. "Not with what I'm about."
Glenis's smile faded. Her voice fell to a whisper.
"How did it go last night, lass? What have ye and yer men decided?"
"I dinna make it to Farraline," she said
dryly. "I fell asleep, and only awoke a short while ago." She ignored
Glenis's pleased expression. "I'll be seeing the men later."
" 'Tis just as well, lass," Glenis said.
"Ye needed the rest. And there was a fierce storm last night, with the
wildest thunder and lightning."
"I dinna hear it," Madeleine said. It seemed
the house could have come down about her ears and she wouldn't have known it,
she thought with annoyance.
"Och, 'twas bad. I couldna sleep for the racket.
'Tis glad I am ye were safe in yer bed, though I wished I'd known it at the
time. I wouldna have prayed so hard!"
Madeleine could not help laughing. "Come on,
Glenis, let's go downstairs. I'll have to grab a wee bite of something, then be
on my way if I'm to make it to the church by one o'clock. I left the cart at
Flora's, and I canna ride in this dress, so I'll have to walk."
She stopped midway to the door and glanced at Glenis.
"Are the soldiers about this morning?" she asked. She had no wish to
run into Garrett. If he was somewhere in the house, she would attempt to avoid
him altogether.
"Only a few," Glenis replied, frowning.
"The rest set out for God knows where just after dawn. One of the sly
foxes must have stolen the scones I baked. They were gone from the table when I
went into my kitchen."
Madeleine cursed under her breath, but not for the
missing scones. She had a strong suspicion Garrett and his men had set out to
survey the valley, perhaps searching for any clues as to the whereabouts of the
outlaw he was
lilac stripes on a cream background and sprigs of rose, lemon-yellow, and
green. She laid it out carefully on the bed so as not to wrinkle it, then began
to strip off her drab gray dress.
A sharp knock on the door startled her, and she
immediately thought of Garrett. Her heart began to pound. If he had come to ask
her to have luncheon with him . . .
"Who's there?" she called, rushing to the
wardrobe. She grabbed a white cambric robe and whirled it around her shoulders.
"Glenis, lass," her servant called through
the door. "Ye've slept so late I thought I should wake ye. I dinna want ye
to miss the christening."
Madeleine unlocked the door and pulled it open. She was
relieved, yet she felt an odd twinge of disappointment. She shrugged it off.
"Ye're just in time to help me into this gown, Glenis. I fear 'tis one
time I'll not be able to get by without those blasted stays."
Glenis's furrowed face broke into a smile, and she
chuckled as she set a tall pitcher filled with warm water on the washstand. She
turned to the armoire and pulled out the top drawer. "So ye'll be dressin'
like the true lady ye are, eh, Maddie?" she teased, filling her arms with
linen underclothes and a starched petticoat. She plopped them on the bed.
"Well, let's be at it."
After Madeleine quickly bathed, she drew on the lace-edged
chemise and drawers, then held firmly to the bedpost as Glenis laced her stays
with an astounding vigor that belied her advancing age. "Ye'll strangle me
for sure if ye pull any tighter," she protested. "I can hardly
breathe."
" 'Tis the proper way," Glenis replied,
smiling her approval as she tied the starched petticoat around Madeleine's
narrow waist. "No wider than a man's two hands may span it."
Madeleine rolled her eyes at that statement but said
nothing. She would not spoil Glenis's enjoyment. She slipped into the gown,
adjusted the square-cut bodice which was a bit low for her taste, then finally
drew on her best pair of brogues. She quickly undid her braid, brushing her
hair until it shone, and secured it with two silver combs.
"Ye look lovely, Maddie!" Glenis exclaimed.
"I wish I could see ye like this more often. Ye're as pretty as a
picture."
" 'Tis not practical, and ye well know it,"
Madeleine objected mildly. "Not with what I'm about."
Glenis's smile faded. Her voice fell to a whisper.
"How did it go last night, lass? What have ye and yer men decided?"
"I dinna make it to Farraline," she said
dryly. "I fell asleep, and only awoke a short while ago." She ignored
Glenis's pleased expression. "I'll be seeing the men later."
" 'Tis just as well, lass," Glenis said.
"Ye needed the rest. And there was a fierce storm last night, with the
wildest thunder and lightning."
"I dinna hear it," Madeleine said. It seemed
the house could have come down about her ears and she wouldn't have known it,
she thought with annoyance.
"Och, 'twas bad. I couldna sleep for the racket.
'Tis glad I am ye were safe in yer bed, though I wished I'd known it at the
time. I wouldna have prayed so hard!"
Madeleine could not help laughing. "Come on,
Glenis, let's go downstairs. I'll have to grab a wee bite of something, then be
on my way if I'm to make it to the church by one o'clock. I left the cart at
Flora's, and I canna ride in this dress, so I'll have to walk."
She stopped midway to the door and glanced at Glenis.
"Are the soldiers about this morning?" she asked. She had no wish to
run into Garrett. If he was somewhere in the house, she would attempt to avoid
him altogether.
"Only a few," Glenis replied, frowning.
"The rest set out for God knows where just after dawn. One of the sly
foxes must have stolen the scones I baked. They were gone from the table when I
went into my kitchen."
Madeleine cursed under her breath, but not for the
missing scones. She had a strong suspicion Garrett and his men had set out to
survey the valley, perhaps searching for any clues as to the whereabouts of the
outlaw he was
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