Her hair was next.
It had been weeks since it had been clean, so she ran the comb through it several times. It was very long, thick andstraight, so she parted her hair down the middle and fastened it in two long braids. In the items left for her next to the bath, she found small leather strips to tie off the braids.
After that, she went on the hunt for her shoes.
All she had were leather shoes she’d inherited from an old man who had been small, a loyal Welsh warrior who had eventually succumbed to a chest infection. She’d scavenged the shoes from him when he passed away because she very much needed them and didn’t think he’d mind. She was just finishing tying them when the tent flap pushed aside.
Curtis made an appearance.
Elle’s head came up from where she’d been tying her shoes, and, for a moment, they simply stared at one another. In the light of day, and cleaned of the battle grime from the day before, Curtis looked like a younger, fresher version of the man she’d originally met. It looked as if he had bathed, too. He was wearing heavy linen breeches, boots, and a linen tunic, but nothing more than that. No mail, no weapons, no de Lohr blue and yellow tunic.
The sight of him was a distinct shock to Elle. If she thought the man handsome when they’d first met, he appeared positively godly at the moment. Quickly, she stood up to face him.
“I awoke and you were not here,” she said, sounding nervous. “I hope that you are not angry that I have dressed in the clothing from last night. I have nothing else to wear, as I cannot seem to find the clothing I wore yesterday.”
“That is because I had it burned,” he said, his voice deep and quiet. “I cannot stand that smell.”
Elle wasn’t sure if she should be insulted by that, but she figured if he really meant to offend her, he would have been more obvious about it. The man didn’t seem to be one who beat around the bush.
“It was probably for the best,” she said. “But, as I said, I really had nothing else, so until I can earn money and pay for more clothing, I hope you do not mind that I wear what you have provided.”
He frowned. “My lady, after our conversation yesterday, I thought I was clear in what our future together is,” he said. “That means that you do not have to earn any money. I will supply you with whatever you need. Can you sew?”
Her cheeks turned shades of red as she averted her gaze. “Nay,” she said. “I never learned.”
Curtis could see that he’d embarrassed her. “It is of little concern,” he said. “I am certain there are local seamstresses. We can find one and have her make you some clothing. Meanwhile, those dresses that belonged to my mother have now become yours. How does this one fit?”
She looked down at the blue garment. “Well enough… I think,” she said. “But there are ties in the back that I cannot reach. Is there a woman who can help me?”
He moved toward her. “Turn around,” he said, reaching out to grasp her arm and turn her when she didn’t move fast enough. He could immediately see what she meant. “I’m afraid I’ll have to do. We do not have any women servants with the army.”
Elle was wearing the shift, so her skin wasn’t exposed, but she wasn’t entirely comfortable with him so close to her. “I do not wish to be any trouble,” she said. “This is a menial task beneath you, my lord.”
His reply was to tie each tie very tightly, one at a time. He did the first one easily, but he pulled too hard on the second one, nearly yanking her into him. She caught her balance and leaned away from him, trying to prepare herself for another yank, and Curtis fought off a grin.
Truth be told, he wasn’t at all adverse to standing this close to her.
The difference in the woman from yesterday to this morning was like day to night. Yesterday, she’d been filthy and combative, but the bath last night had shown him how well she could shine up with a little soap and water. And when he’d just entered the tent now, he was momentarily speechless at what he saw before him. She was in the blue dress that brought out the color in her magnificent eyes, and her hair was in two braids, which was incredibly charming. If he’d simply seen her in the street passing by him and had no idea who she was, he would have definitely taken a second look.
Enid Avrielle ferch Gwenwynwyn was an unusual, and exquisite, beauty.
Against his better judgment and everything he stood for as a career knight with no distractions, he could feel himself becoming intrigued with her. Interested, even. But that was solely based on her beauty. Her manner would tell the true tale of whether or not he could be attracted to her on a deeper level.
There was a part of him that was hoping it was possible.
“There,” he said, finishing with the last one. “I tried to pull it as tight as I could so it would fit better. My mother is a little rounder than you are.”
Elle took a step away from him as she smoothed the dress, seeing that it did indeed fit better now. “It fits quite well,” she said. “I think so, anyway. I’ve never had a garment like this before.”
He looked her over. “You were made for a garment like that,” he said. “A woman of your beauty should not be wearing tunics and hose. This is what you were born for.”
She looked at him sharply, her cheeks turning a darker shade of red. “If I were a finer lady born to a fine and wealthy family, that would be true,” she said. “But I am neither of those things. My clothing suited me.”
His smile faded. “I have offended you,” he said. “I did not mean to. I simply meant to praise your beauty.”
She was vastly uncomfortable. “I would ask that you don’t,” she said. “It… it means nothing to me.”
Curtis nodded but didn’t reply, at least not right away. He was quickly coming to see that flattery was unwelcome, and after their conversations yesterday, he understood why. Perhaps the surprise of seeing her clean and lovely had pushed him into easy praise, but she wasn’t shy in reminding him that it wasn’t something she wanted to hear.
