“Ya must eat. Gain strength. I have fruits and nuts sent up.”
Apparently, Katrina’s words didn’t mean much at her father’s house. “Fine.”
“I have tub and water brought up for bath.” The other woman bustled to the nearest armoire and opened up the doors. Many gowns hung in the space, filling it up.
Katrina gasped and walked to get a better look. Such lovely colors—like a rainbow after a rainstorm. Satins and silks, and lace galore.
“Ya dress in one of deese, yes?”
Apparently, her father didn’t want to meet her unless she looked like a lady. “Yes, I suppose I could wear one of those gowns.”
“Good.” She waddled to the door. “I have de water brought up now.”
Once the woman left, Katrina took careful steps to the door and opened it to peek down the hallway. She had no clue where the men took Felix, so she must do as the older woman asked. What else could she do besides worry?
Blowing out a frustrated breath between her lips, she wandered back inside the room, walking slowly around each piece of furniture. She ran her finger across the material of the sofa, careful not to get it dirty, since she was certain she was filthy. In the corner of the room stood a mirror. She hesitated in going over to look at herself. Since they’d left the little village of Manaus, she hadn’t looked in a mirror. Now she didn’t dare.
Curiosity moved her closer.Good heavens!Was that her? She looked horrid—bad enough to scare small children. Dirt was smudged all over her face except where tears had streaked it, making her almost unrecognizable. The dark color coating her hair was definitely not the shade she’d had before starting out on her journey. Even the texture had changed. No longer was it silky smooth, but instead it was ratted. She groaned and pushed her fingers through her hair—as much as she could, anyway.
Her gaze wandered down her neck to the man’s shirt she wore. Hadn’t it been beige when she first put it on? Now it was the color of a mud puddle after a heavy rain. And her trousers and boots... Just filthy!
The doorknob rattled mere seconds before the door was opened and the housekeeper brought in a tray of food, as promised. Behind her a man carried a tub and three other men carried buckets of water—one in each hand. Once the tray of food was on the table, the woman moved to another cupboard and pulled out a bar of soap and two towels.
“Come, come. Time for bath.” She gestured with her head.
Katrina waited until the men poured the water in the tub and left before she started undressing. She removed her boots first, enjoying the feeling of her toes being unrestricted.
She searched to find the other woman and found her standing by the armoire. “You can leave now. I can bathe myself, thank you.”
The woman nodded and pointed to the gowns. “Wear pretty dress when ya meet yer father.”
Katrina held her breath, trying not to voice her annoyance in front of the other woman. “All right.”
The housekeeper then moved to the door. Before she left, she looked over her shoulder at Katrina. “Name is Mrs. Cooney.”
Katrina smiled. “Nice to meet you.”
The woman turned and left the room.
It didn’t take Katrina long before she had taken off all her clothes and stepped into the warm tub. As she sank into the water, letting the cool liquid splash over her, she sighed and closed her eyes. How she had missed this. It seemed like ages since she’d felt such refreshing, calming water surround her in pleasure. Weariness consumed her, and she realized if she stayed in here much longer, she’d fall asleep.
Shaking the sleep out of her head, she quickly washed her hair and then her body. Little by little she started feeling like herself again instead of the dirty ragamuffin she’d been earlier. Her body felt smoother, and she could actually comb her fingers through her hair without difficulty.
She climbed out of the tub and toweled herself dry. Immediately, her thoughts turned back to Felix. She prayed he was all right. If he had taken a turn for the worse, someone had better inform her, or she’d tear through this house looking for him. Being by his side to nurse him back to health would not only do her good, but him as well. He needed to be able to talk to her coherently. She wanted to tell him things as well. There was so much in her heart she wanted to say to him, things that should have been said yesterday if her pride had allowed it.
As she searched through the armoires, she discovered plenty of clothes, not only undergarments, but gowns and shoes and bonnets. It was remarkable when she noticed they were all her size. How had her father known? They’d never met. Had he been spying on her all these years?
Chills crawled up her spine, but she shrugged it off. All these questions would be answered as soon as she met Mr. Henry Landon.
She dressed in a pale pink dress with a white lace overskirt. The short sleeves narrowed to just above her elbows. Although it was a lovely gown, she especially liked it because of the square neck trimmed in white ribbon. In this humidity, the more air her body could get, the better she’d feel.
Once dressed, she sat at the vanity and picked up the brush. This afternoon’s heat had mostly dried her hair, but thankfully, it was easy to stroke through her thick locks. Whatever that soap was made of also released a rose scented fragrance. Truly, she’d never felt so lavish before.
On the vanity, there were many small, jeweled hair combs and silky ribbons. She didn’t feel like doing anything special with her hair, so she braided it down the back, tying the end with a pink ribbon.
A knock came upon the door before it opened. Mrs. Cooney peeked her head inside. “Ready to see yer father?”
Katrina stood and squared her shoulders. “Not yet. I want to know about Mr. Knightly. Is he well? Was the doctor able to help him?”
