Skye O'Malley by Bertrice Small

Author:Bertrice Small
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2012-07-24T20:18:10+00:00

Chapter 17

Skye’s wedding morning was a rainy spring day. She stretched in a lei-

surely fashion, dimly aware of activity about her, then suddenly sat

straight up in bed. She was being married in a few hours, and there was

so much to be done! A steaming tub was already waiting before the fire-

place.

“Good morning, m’lady,” chorused Daisy and the two undermaids, bob-

bing “Not ‘my lady’ yet, Daisy,” said Skye sharply. The two maidservants

giggled, then gasped, their faces reddening as Skye rose from her bed,

drew off her gown, and walked naked across the room. Daisy, who was

used to her mistress’s eccentricities with regard to nudity in the bath,

smirked smugly at the red-faced underlings and helped Skye up the two

steps and into the big tub. Skye sunk gratefully into the bath. The sweet-

smelling oily water caressed her skin and lapped about her shoulders.

Daisy drew a screen about the tub, leaving her mistress to a few mo-

ments of privacy, while she guided the undermaids in the laying out of

the bride’s clothing.

So, thought Skye, today is my wedding day. How different it is from the joy-

ous day that I wed you, Khalid. Oh, my dearest lord, how I loved you. But

you are gone, Khalid, and this strange English lord has caught at my heart.

I may be wealthy, dear Khalid, but the honest truth is that the widow of an

Algerian “merchant” is scarcely on a social footing with a belted Earl. Yet,

he would make me his Countess. It’s not simply to get me in his bed, for I

have already been there. He claims to love me, yet he left me without a

word for weeks. Dare I trust him? Or will he break my heart? Oh, God, I

wish I could know. I want to be loved, but even more I want to be safe

again.

“Mistress,” scolded Daisy, “you’ve not yet begun to wash.” Daisy took up

the soft cloth herself and began to scrub her mistress. Skye continued to

muse silently as Daisy moved on to wash her mistress’s hair. Daisy’s

chatter caused Skye to lose her train of thought and she exploded. Re-

lenting at the hurt look on Daisy’s face, Skye confided, “I’ve wakened

with a terrible headache, Daisy, and I don’t want it later on at Green-

wich.”

Daisy became concerned. “Ah, m’lady, I’ll have an herbal draught made

up at once. Hawise,” she turned to one of the serving maids, “ask Dame

Cecily to please make up an herbal tea for m’lady’s headache.”

Skye left her tub wrapped in a large warmed bathsheet and, seated by

the fire, endured Daisy’s further ministrations. Her hair was rubbed free

of excess water, brushed and brushed and brushed again until it was dry,

then rubbed with a piece of silk until it shone with deep blue-gold lights.

Meanwhile, the second of the undermaids knelt paring her mistress’s

toenails.

“What I really need is something to eat,” declared Skye. “Bring me bread,

meat, and wine. I’m starving. See to it, Daisy. Jane, either the Earl will like

my feet or he won’t.” She stood up and the bathsheet dropped. Daisy

wrapped her mistress in a loose pink silk robe, then hurried off to see to

the food.

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