Love in the Time of a Highland Laird by Angeline Fortin

Author:Angeline Fortin
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Time travel
Published: 2015-10-20T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

“What is that?” Al swallowed the bit of toast she’d been munching on for her breakfast late the next morning. Peigi was laying out a heavy-looking black dress for her to wear. Nothing like the light-weight linen dresses she had been wearing over the last couple days. It looked wholly uncomfortable… and hot.

“Master Keir… I mean, His Grace, asks that ye wear it, miss. A surprise, he said.”

Yes, he was full of those.

Peigi’s eyes were wide with anticipation. “Ye’ll look lovely in it, I think. Yer hair will shine against the black.”

“I’m sure one of the normal dresses will be fine no matter what we do, won’t they? It’s been awfully warm lately.” The past couple days had been warm for the end of April. She’d been hot even in the lighter dresses simply because of the corset and all the other layers that accompanied them. She’d die of heat-stroke in this one.

“He did ask that ye wear it, miss,” Peigi urged once more.

“Don’t worry, Peigi,” Al assured her. “I won’t let him blame you, but there’s no way I’m putting that one on today. I want the thinnest one we’ve got, with the shortest sleeves and the fewest layers.”

The maid giggled as she listed off her criteria.

“And I’d like my hair up and off my neck today, too.”

She generally wore her long hair up in a ponytail or messy bun. While there were ribbons aplenty, they tended to slide right off her silky hair when she tried to tie it back or braid it. There was nothing else for her to use but combs or the stiff wooden bobby pins available now. Frustrated, she’d given it up after just a single attempt to do it herself.

“If you don’t mind helping me again, that is?”

“Nay, miss. I’m happy tae help ye wi’ it e’ery day. I told ye, ‘tis my job tae assist ye.”

Wincing at the reminder, Al just nodded. She’d never had help taking care of herself, not even from her mother, since she was five. It was more difficult than she thought, accepting it now. “Thank you.”

Forsaking even the corset and drawers she was slowly becoming accustomed to given how warm it already was, Al opted in favor of her own bra and panties. Covering them in a linen shift, she allowed Peigi to help her dress in a light linen dress of periwinkle blue with a simple ivory underskirt and only one petticoat. Though she knew her best hope of a life here without regrets meant embracing all it entailed, there were just some things the future did better. Undergarments was one of those things. The assumption that she could dress herself was another, but the maid was just too earnest and kind to deny.

After Peigi announced her perfectly respectable, Al dropped down on the vanity bench and let Peigi brush out her hair. Trying not to squirm impatiently as she braided and twisted and pinned the long locks until they were all up and off her neck as promised.

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