“I brought a good dress, with everything I need, but I could use help putting it on.”
I pulled one of the dress bundles from my wardrobe, placed it on the bed and began unfolding it, taking stock of the pieces while one of the maids built up the fire and lit a candle on the mantel to give us more light. The air of my chamber smelled of woodsmoke, lavender from the linens washed in a moderndetergent and the faint, clean bite of the loch drifting in through the cracked window.
Maggie picked up the chemise and pulled it to her nose and inhaled deeply. “Och, I love the smell ye hae on ye, Kaitlyn, tis from yer world? Ye oft smell fresh as a garden.”
“Yes, it is from my world, and soon all of your clothes will smell like this too.”
She breathed it in again, but then placed it down as if that had been more than enough.
The dress was of deep forest green wool, the bodice fitted, the skirts full but not extravagant — suitable for a Highland earl’s table in 1710, yet carrying the subtle elegance Emma liked in our dresses. She ordered them off Etsy, having found seamstresses who were on permanent retainer for our needs. It was fascinating to think about a group of modern women who had no idea time travel existed, outfitting us for past centuries.
I pulled the chemise on first, the fabric settling on the edge of my shoulders. Then I stepped into the petticoat — cream linen, our summer weight version. I lifted my arms as one of the maids helped lace the stays.
I asked Maggie, “How are you feeling about the move?”
She didn’t speak much, like Lizbeth’s Liam in that way, and it was interesting that both Sean and Lizbeth had married people who were serious and quiet. She spoke slowly as if she were choosing her words. “My laird is looking forward tae the journey. I look tae him for how I will feel about it. In all things, he will guide us and protect us. I trust him, so I look forward tae it as well.”
I nodded as the maid pulled the stays tighter and tied them.
The boning pressed firmly, taking my breath for a minute as I adjusted. Letting it settle higher in my chest. I exhaled slowly, feeling my posture straighten.
The green wool gown came next. Maggie draped it over my head, smoothing the bodice down and hooking the eyes at the back with quick, practiced fingers. The skirts settled with a soft rustle, brushing the tops of my modern shoes — simple black leather, understated, comfortable.
Maggie tugged the stomacher into place, pinning it securely, then stepped back to appraise her work.
I asked, “How is Lizbeth doing? She seemed upset.”
“She winna speak tae me on it, but aye, she is unsettled by the idea of leaving.”
She didn’t add anything else.
I looked down on my dress, the sleeves ended just below my elbow in turned-back cuffs edged with narrow cream lace, and the stomacher was of embroidered silk — pale gold threads worked into twisting vines and tiny leaves were fastened down the front.
Maggie said, “Ye look like ye belong here, dost ye think I will look as if I belong in the land we are going tae?”
“I do, Maggie, I promise you that I will do everything in my power to make you comfortable. You will have everything you need and want, I will make certain of it.”
“And ye are a queen.”
It wasn’t a question, it was a statement.
I said, “Yes, I am a queen.”
I looked at my dress in the small, speckled looking-glass propped on the washstand, the colors of the forest outside, deep green accented with gold. Perfect for Magnus’s mood.
“Do you think it will make Lizbeth feel better to know that I will make sure she is comfortable?”
“I daena ken, sister Kaitlyn. She daena want much for comfort or wealth, she has verra different needs from other ladies.”
One of the maids began working on my hair, parting it with a comb down the center, working on a tangle underneath, then sweeping it back into a low knot with a few soft curls left loose at the temples.
I said, “That’s insightful about Lizbeth. What do you think shedoeswant?”
“She is her mother’s daughter, she wants tae feel important and necessary.”
“Hmm, I suppose that is a good description, Lizbeth is different from Lady Mairead though.”
“Aye, she is much kinder. She has a softness within and she is suffering.”
