"It is much warmer," she confirmed, turning slightly to see how the material hugged her curves.
There was no hiding her weight, but the structure of the corset and the cut of this garment made it look almost desirable. She'd disliked the way her reflection looked for most of her life. Picking apart her appearance had become second nature. Now,she looked healthy and full of life. She almost didn't recognize the person staring back at her.
"I daenae ken why ye didnae have a dress of this color to begin with," Emelia chattered as she shifted to hang a few of the dresses on the privacy screen she'd set up in Anna's chambers. "If I didnae ken any better, I'd think the fabric were dyed specifically for ye."
"It's the kind of color that draws attention," Anna murmured slowly, her fingers dancing over the bodice of the gown. "I suppose I was never confident enough to wear it back home. Truthfully, I wouldn't have considered having this dress made if it weren't for the seamstress insisting on this fabric."
"Well, I'll have to tell her what a good eye she has when I see her next," Emelia said decisively. She gestured to the dresses still hanging. "Now, which should we put ye in next? Perhaps this green one? It will make yer eyes look even brighter."
Anna chuckled, glancing at the thick forest-green wool gown that her maid was referencing. "I thought so too. That's why I picked the color." She nodded, agreeing to the next phase of their fashion exhibition. "And it reminds me of all the green here. Even though it's the beginning of winter, there's still so much green."
"Aye," Emelia said, stepping behind Anna to begin unlacing the red dress. "The Highlands are always teemin' with life. Is it nae like this in England?"
"No," Anna said softly, images of her home country coming back to her. "There are trees and flowers, of course, but there are far fewer of them. And the Highlands have a… wild quality that England doesn't have."
Emelia hummed thoughtfully as she freed Anna from the confines of her gown. "Do ye think ye'll miss it? England, I mean."
"Not particularly," Anna said, surprising herself with her honesty. "Of course, I miss my father, but I think I would have even if I got married to an Englishman. My friends and I already correspond with occasional letters, so it's not as if that's changed. The scenery here is much better, though. And so are the people."
"I'm flattered to hear ye say that," Emelia said, slowly sliding the fabric off of Anna's body. "And I suppose I understand yer reasonin'. It's nae easy leavin' yer family. Mine's just in the village, but I still miss them."
"How long have you been working in the castle?" Anna asked, the compulsion to know more about her people driving her.
Emelia paused to think as she hung the red dress. She began grabbing the next gown as she said, "Nearly five years. I'm one of the newest on the staff. I'm still learnin' the things that happened before I joined the staff."
Anna was quiet for a beat, stepping into the forest-green warmth and letting Emelia begin the process of tying her into it.Hesitantly, she said, "Perhaps you could share what you learned with me. I've already spoken to you about it a bit, but… I'd like to know everything there is to know."
"Ach, me Lady," Emelia said with a sparkle in her eye. "Where should I begin?"
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
After spending a day wearing her new, thicker gown, Anna finally felt comfortable. The few hours that she spent with Emelia trying on all of the dresses that the seamstress had dropped off had been refreshing and enlightening. Though when Emelia had started to show off the nightgowns that Hugh had clearly suggested, Anna had dismissed her. Then, to clear her flustered mind, she'd gone to the gardens.
Now, back in the comfort of her chambers, she was carefully pressing some of the flowers she picked. She'd send the ones that turned out best to her father. She thought, perhaps, that she would write him before she went to bed to inform him that she was settling in well.
I should have written sooner. I've just been so wrapped up in learning the intricacies of the castle.
She straightened out, weighing down the book that she was using to flatten the blooms with a brass press. Her fingerswere stiff with cold when she opened and closed them at her sides. Despite having proper attire now, the nights were still blisteringly uncomfortable.
With a sigh, she looked down at her dressing gown and the robe she had pulled over it. If she were to stay up longer to write her letter, she was sure she'd freeze. Even if she were to sit next to the fire, the night was simply far too cold for her.
Almost as soon as Anna made up her mind to tuck herself into bed, there was commotion in the corridor outside her room. She tensed, Eilidh's words about never knowing who was lurking around the castle flashing through her mind. Before fear could sink its claws into her, she recognized the voices. Hugh and Callum.
"What do ye think would have happened if someone else saw ye in the kitchens like this?" Callum demanded, his voice loud enough to carry through the wood of her door.
Hugh responded, his voice a low growl that Anna couldn't make out. Her hackles rose, though. From the stories that Emelia told, there was something off about Callum. It wasn't something she was able to articulate, but it had been obvious to Anna that her maid didn't trust the man.
In a flash of bravery she didn't know she possessed, Anna marched over to the door and pulled it open. Callum froze, his hands gripped uselessly on the shoulders of Hugh's doublet. Hugh's face was flushed, his eyes a little blurry. Unconcealed distaste was written clearly over the Laird's features.
"What's going on out here?" Anna demanded, holding herself straighter and staring at Callum with all the authority she could muster. She was Lady McDonald; this castle was just as much hers as it was Hugh's. "I was trying to sleep, but the two of you are making quite the racket."
"Yer husband seems to have overindulged," Callum said, clearly unimpressed. He adjusted his hold on Hugh, behaving as if her husband would topple over if it weren't for him. "I was simply takin' him to his chambers before he made a fool of himself."
"I could have taken meself," Hugh grunted, shoving Callum off of him with nearly enough force to knock the other man over. "I'm nae a child, Callum."
"I would be more inclined to believe ye if ye werenae on the verge of makin' a fool of yerself," Callum said as he righted himself. His gaze swept between Hugh and Anna. Finally, he threw his hands in the air and said, "Since he's yer husband, I'll leave him with ye. I didnae need to bring him this far." He turned, stomping down the corridor, mumbling under his breath.
The two of them watched Callum's retreating form for a moment before Anna reached forward and grabbed hold of Hugh's elbow. Softly, she said, "Come inside. Sit."
