“Is it becoming a duchess and overseeing a household that has you in such a state? You’re never this thorny. Not even on your worst of days.”
Grace flinched. Joy’s words stung like a slap. “I know nothing aboutduchessingor running a household,” she said in a desperate whisper. “I can run a stable and see that every animal on the estate is properly tended to, but I have no idea how to even plan what meals to feed a husband.” She dropped her face into her hands. “I can’t very well order a bag of oats tied to his face, now can I?”
“Well…you could.” Joy gave her an affectionate shake. “I doubt, however, that your intended would appreciate that.” Laughing, she pulled Grace into a tighter hug. “Your new housekeeper will help you. You know Mrs. Perridone. She’s Mrs. Flackney’s sister and would never let your home sink like a scuttled ship.”
“Since when do you use nautical terms?”
“Unfortunately, most of the books in the library here are about ships and the sea. You know how that was one of Papa’s passions. A visit to Creary’s Bookshop in the village for something to read other than Fortuity’s romances or the Royal Navy is definitely in order.” She gently shook Grace again. “As I was saying, Mrs. Perridone was a housekeeper for the Portenses for as long as we’ve had Mrs. Flackney. Consider yourself fortunate that Wolfe was able to coax her away on the recommendation of Mrs. Flackney.”
The dressing room door swung open, and Nellie sidled in bearing a large tray with two round-bellied teapots, multiple cups, and an assortment of biscuits, scones, and sweet buns. “Your tea, my lady, and I also brought your morning chocolate and favorite breads.” The maid gave Grace a pointed look. “Then wemustget you ready for your ceremony. It’s already half past seven, and the wedding is set for nine.”
“I am leaving you to it, then.” Joy pushed up from the floor and shook out her skirts. “I shall send in Gastric and Galileo. Those two will make you feel better.”
“Thank you, Joy—for everything.” Grace already felt somewhat better after her sister’s encouragement. She accepted a cup of chocolate from Nellie, took a sip, then realized she had run the poor maid in circles since before dawn. “Nellie, pour yourself a cup of chocolate and sit for a little while. I’ve been an absolute beast this morning and feel terrible about it.”
The maid turned to her with an open-mouthed stare, then tilted her head. “Beg pardon, my lady?”
“You heard me. Things can wait long enough for you to have a nice cup of chocolate and a bread or two. These past few days have been extra hard on you, what with packing my things and sending them over to the lodge. Don’t think I haven’t noticed, and I do appreciate you.”
The maid tucked her chin and smiled, obviously overwhelmed by the praise. “It was my pleasure, my lady. It truly was.” She poured herself a half cup of chocolate.
“Fill it to the brim,” Grace said. “You deserve it.”
Still smiling, Nellie filled the cup the rest of the way. “Mrs. Flackney wrote to London. Your things should arrive from there within a fortnight, she said, and she already sent a note to Mrs. Perridone advising her of such.” The maid sat on a trunk, dipped a biscuit in her chocolate, then delicately nibbled at it. “Thank you, my lady.”
“You are quite welcome.” Grace cradled her cup between her hands, pulled in a deep breath, and resolved to do better toward those around her. Her worries gave her no right to be an unruly tempest with everyone else.
The dressing room door creaked open wider, and Gastric ambled in, followed by Galileo. If anyone had ever told Grace that her favorite hound would someday take a surly orange cat as a best friend, she would’ve asked them if they’d been into the brandy. The fluffy, pumpkin-colored feline rarely left Gastric’s side, and the hound had even been caught snuffling the cat’s ears and occasionally giving them a good wash with a swipe of his tongue.
The dog flopped down beside her, propped his nose on her leg, and looked at her with adoration and obvious pleading for a biscuit. His chocolate-brown eyes and faint whine wereimpossible to resist. Galileo sat in front of her, pinning her with a judgmental, unblinking stare.
After giving Gastric a biscuit, Grace offered one to the cat, who sniffed it, then recoiled as if it were poison. “I don’t know what you want, Galileo. Biscuits, tea, and hot chocolate are all I have, and I don’t believe anything other than the biscuits would be advisable for you to nibble.”
The feline gave an aloof flick of his ear, then turned his back to her as if to dismiss her presence. She was half tempted to tug on his slowly flipping tail just to aggravate him.
“I don’t understand cats,” she said to Nellie as the maid took her cup away and gently but firmly urged her to stand.
“As I see it,” Nellie said, “you are much like a cat, my lady. Independent. Know your own mind. Determined to go your own way. Perhaps that is why Master Galileo sometimes takes umbrage with you. Maybe he fears you will overshadow him.” She wrapped the stays around Grace and pulled them snugly while tightening the laces. “Are you still wearing the blue silk, or have you decided on another?”
“I promise not to change my mind again, Nellie. It’s still the blue silk.” Besides, all Grace’s other gowns were packed and ready for the footmen to load onto the wagon bound for Wolfebourne Lodge. “I know I’ve been a terror, and I am sorry.”
“Every woman has a right to be a bit fractious when preparing for her wedding.” Nellie nodded for her to bend forward so she could put the petticoat on over her head and tug it down in place. The maid went round to the back, tied it shut, and anchored it with hooks and eyelets. “Have a seat, my lady, whilst I fetch your silk stockings. Lady Serendipity had new pairs delivered for everyone just yesterday.”
The maid idly chattered about absolutely nothing. Grace smiled and nodded as though taking in every word, but her mind was on what was about to happen in the garden at nine o’clock.She rubbed Gastric’s velvety ears, wishing she could wear her buckskins, and that she and Wolfe could be wed beside the ravine.
The ravine.Good heavens, she should never have thought about the ravine and rekindled that deliciously uncomfortable aching her husband-to-be now triggered whenever in her presence. She cleared her throat and took another sip of tea, thankful that the liquid had cooled.
“And now the gown,” Nellie said as she expertly held the garment so that Grace had but to stand and bend a little to wriggle up into it. “My goodness, you’ve gone a bit flushed. Have a seat again, my lady. I can fasten your gown just as well while you sit before I tend to your hair. Are you feeling faint?”
“I’m fine,” Grace hurried to say. “And no feathers or silly frippery in my hair, please. I wish it simple.” She pressed a hand to her chest, noting the redness in her cheeks had spread there as well. She wondered if she should wear a fichu, since her fair skin was determined to betray her. “Is this neckline modest enough for a bride? I don’t wish the vicar and his wife to think any poorer of me than they already do.”
Nellie blew out a curt huff. “The vicar and his wife adjust their opinions by the weightiness of the coins in the offering plate. Donations for the upkeep of the kirk and the vicarage also sway them, my lady. Since you will soon be a duchess who intends to spend a great deal of time in their parish, I feel certain they will be most generous in their thoughts about you and His Grace.” She held out the tray of necklaces and earrings. “What gems will you wear on this special day, my lady? Your mother wished each of her daughters to have something from this collection on the day they married. Lady Serendipity said so when she brought the tray to me.”
Grace knew without hesitation which of Mama’s precious collection was meant for her. She had always told Mama that thetopaz crosses were her favorite, and Mama had said she should wear them on her wedding day, since topaz symbolized love and good fortune. All the sisters knew which pieces Mama wished each of them to have—she had told them just before she died. “The topaz crosses. Mama wanted me to wear them today.”
Nellie smiled as she affixed the delicate cross earrings onto Grace’s pierced ears, then fastened the gold necklace bearing the simple topaz cross around her neck. “Lady Serendipity thought those would be the ones you chose.” She carefully closed the velvet case and placed it on the dresser. “You are ready, my lady, and may I say, you’ve never looked lovelier.”
“Thank you, Nellie.” Grace rose, fidgeting with her long gloves, tugging at their hems where they clung well above her elbows. She hated the silly things. They reminded her of the formal balls she had never liked. “Are you certain it would be wrong to wear my lacy, short gloves?”
