It was slight, but Wolfe winced at the words, and I gasped. “You overturned his mannequins?”
“I thought he was hiding Cillian behind one of them,” Wolfe replied gruffly. “Wasn’t my best moment. Are we ready to go back to the castle yet?”
Ceri reemerged with an armful of fabrics. A beautiful dark yellow, a satin green, a striped blue and white, maroon, black, and beige.
“We’ll do a few trousers, some tunics, some nightgowns, and dresses.”
I put my hands to my cheeks. “That’s too much.”
She shook her head, curls bouncing. “Of course it’s not. I just need to grab a few measurements, and you’ll be on your way.”
Her father leaned over to his daughter and whispered, “Don’t get too close. She might be sick.”
Ceri put her hand on her father’s arm. “Why don’t you take Wolfe to look at some of the fabrics we have for trousers? He could use a few new pairs.” Her gaze dipped down to Wolfe’s mud-splattered pants.
Wolfe’s jaw locked, but he followed Ceri’s father as she turned to me. “Sorry about that.” She took a knotted string and wrapped it around my bust. “He’s a little paranoid sometimes, but he means well.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” I said. “Your father is lovely.” I cleared my throat. “How are you feeling about your best friend getting married?”
Her head snapped up, understanding flooding her face. “Oh no. Not you too.”
She grabbed a quill from behind her ear and scratched some numbers on a nearby parchment, then she moved the knotted string to my waist, wrapping it tight.
“What do you mean?” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, suddenly feeling nervous. What if she was about to confess herfeelings for Cillian? It would be so awkward. What if the castle liked her better than me and kicked me out?
She rolled her eyes. “Cillian and I are friends. That’s it. Besides, even if I did have feelings for him, I could never leave my father.” She glanced over her shoulder. “He’s... well, he’s not ill, exactly, but he just needs me.”
The words triggered a memory of me overhearing Ashami say the same thing. She’d been talking to her mother, the Queen of Bergenay about why she kept me as a lady’s maid when I was so opposite of the strong, courageous princess. That’s what Ashami had said. That I needed her. Not that she needed me, though we did balance each other out. I remembered going home and crying, feeling like a burden on everyone I loved. It didn’t seem like Ceri saw her father as a burden, but I did wonder why she thought he needed her so much. I didn’t know her well enough to ask, so I just said, “Of course.”
“I have no interest in love. I have everything I need inside this shop. And I’m happy for you and Cillian.”
I glanced over at Wolfe and her father, Wolfe rolling his eyes as Ceri’s father tied a knotted string around his waist.
“Can I ask you another question?” I asked.
Ceri knelt down, now measuring my buttocks. “Of course.”
“Why don’t you like Wolfe?”
She faltered with the string. “Like I said, I’m Cillian’s best friend, and I just think Wolfe hasn’t been the best brother to him, but it’s not my story to tell.”
I swallowed, unsure of what any of that meant, especially when Wolfe was so protective of Cillian. Maybe it had to do with their brother who had died—something I’d figured out on my own by this point—but I couldn’t help but feel I was missing a big part of the picture.
Ceri stood and circled me. “You know, I have a dress in the back that I think might fit you. Do you want to try it on?”
“No,” I said as she was already pushing me toward the curtains. “It’s really okay.”
“I can’t let you walk around town in that,” Ceri burst out. “It’s a travesty.”
I looked down at my mud-covered dress, full of holes and tears. I couldn’t disagree.
She shoved me through the curtain, then started undoing the buttons of my dress. “Okay, so we’re doing this,” I muttered.
“Just try it on, and if you don’t like it, then you don’t have to take it.” She pulled my dress down, leaving me in only my panties and bra, my pudgy tummy and ample curves on display.
I wasn’t ashamed of my body, but I also wasn’t used to stripping in front of complete strangers.
She bustled to a wooden rack and pulled off a sapphire blue dress with a golden belt and ruched long sleeves. Her eyes gleamed. “This is going to look stunning on you.”
