Page 35 of To Wed a Laird
Elspeth giggled. She was, indeed, going to tower over most of the ladies in the area, but that gave her a sense of power. “No!” she replied. “I am going to be bigger than him.”
The dress was halfway to completion, but looked as though it would be finished in good time, since all three were working on it.
Rose had been obliged to unpick her efforts a few times due to her clumsiness and lack of expertise, but she was determined to learn, so she persevered even though her fingertips were blue from needle pricks.
On the day before the party, Elspeth put the finished garment on so that she could show off to Rose and Nell. “It is so lovely!” Rose breathed as Elspeth twirled around to give them a view from every side.
The dress was bright red, with a round neck and elbow length sleeves, and it flared out from Elspeth’s slender waist to drop to a length just below her knees. When she was a grown woman, it would reach the floor, but that would be years away yet.
Elspeth clapped her hands, her eyes alight with joy. “Only one more day!” she cried.
With all the preparations, Rose had managed to avoid Cormac for the few days between their kiss and the feast, although it had been a sacrifice to stay away from him. He had avoided coming to dine with them, telling Nell that he was too busy, and this was both a relief and a disappointment to Rose.
Among the many things that Nell was teaching Rose was the art of baking. Rose was eager to learn these household skills that most women took for granted, since her future seemed to be so unsure. Would she be left to fend for herself one day? If she were, she would have to possess some means of making a living if she could not secure a position as a governess.
Rose was already thinking of Nell as a mother figure and could not imagine life without her or Elspeth.
The night before the feast, she and Nell were kneading dough in the kitchen for the bread that would be served the next day. Nell brushed flour from her apron before pouring a cup of ale for both of them. Then she held up her cup in a toast.
“Sláinte Mhath!” she said, smiling.
“Sláinte Mhath!” Rose was puzzled. “What are we celebrating?”
“You and Elspeth,” Nell answered, her eyes warm. “Ever since ye came, she has been a different wee lassie, Rose. She has come back tae life, an’ it is a’ because o’ you.”
Rose was astonished. “Nell, I am only doing what I was hired to do,” she said. “Nothing more.”
“Ye didnae need tae dae any more, hen,” Nell replied. “Just bein’ yourself is enough.”
“I think you’re giving me too much credit, Nell,” Rose replied. “But thank you.”
“I am no’ givin’ ye enough, hen,” Nell said as she gave Rose a tight hug. “Ye have been good for her, for me, an’ for Cormac. Elspeth loves ye. She would dae anythin’ for ye, an’ I know that because she told me.”
Rose flushed with embarrassment; this was all too much, and she changed the subject quickly. “Did you say we were having haggis for supper tonight, Nell?” she asked wickedly, and Nell gave her a playful punch.
When she left the kitchen hours later, Rose went up to the first row of turrets, a place she often went to clear her head, since she found that the fresh air and beautiful view worked better than anything else.
She spent a few moments taking deep breaths as she looked out at the landscape below, the trees and rooftops glinting silver in the moonlight. She could hear the guards laughing and chatting, and it suddenly occurred to her that this little country of Scotland was now her home.
Rose shook her head in disbelief, thinking of the flat-level grasslands of her own home in England, which would never feel the same again.
She knew that she would have to sleep well that night, since the next day would likely be a chaotic blur of activity. Accordingly, she went to her chamber, lit a candle as she approached her bed, then stopped dead.
There, lying on her bed, was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. It was made of teal blue satin, trimmed with cream lace, and had a slit up the front that showed a cream silk underdress. The neckline was a deep “V” and the puffed shoulder-length sleeves were also trimmed with lace. Beside the dress lay a yard of matching ribbon and a few jewelled hairpins.
She sat down on her bed and stroked the silk of the dress, wondering if she should try it on, but there was no one to help her with the elaborate fastenings.
Rose went to the mirror and held the dress up against herself. It was the perfect length, and she could see that it would fit perfectly just by looking at it. She wondered how Cormac—who was undoubtedly the one who had gifted her this dress—had found her measurements, but that hardly mattered. He had thought of her, that was all that counted.
Rose carefully draped the dress over a chair, then put on her nightgown before picking up the note again.
“Cormac,” she murmured. “Thank you for thinking of me. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
She climbed into bed, thinking about the handsome Highlander with a heart of gold yet again.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“Elspeth will havethe time of her life,” Rose observed as Nell helped her to don her gown. “It will be so wonderful to watch, when I think of the withdrawn little girl that she used to be.”
