Page 7 of Never Second Guess a Lord
“Quite right.” Prudence bit back a flinch when Agnus plunged a decorative comb into her hair. She’d kept to her chambers for the better part of three days, pleading exhaustion, but Maude had claimed she really must attend dinner tonight lest the game caught for her arrival spoiled.
While tempted to argue the game would already be done for, she knew it rude to hole herself away when a duke was in attendance. Even if he were a disagreeable Scotsman. Because he very much was. So said any man of his prestige lowering himself enough to counter a lady beneath his rank about his country’s heritage. He should have been above such trivialness and showed his true colors by making her look the fool.
She knew the turbulent history between England and Scotland. Understood that some Scots still held ill will. Who knew it would be royalty, though? Because despite what Agnus said and how Prudence portrayed herself, she was not so cold and uneducated that she did not recognize Scotland had come far. Earned its royals. In fact, there was once a time when she saw herself as no better than any other nationality. That girl might seem a lifetime ago,wasa lifetime ago, but she had been there, however fleetingly.
“There.” Agnus offered a curt nod before stepping back. “That will do, my lady.”
She stared at herself in the mirror and barely recognized the woman looking back. While still well within her childbearing years, it seemed sometimes she should see a much older reflection. One that looked like she felt. Gray at the temples. Fine lines on her forehead. An automatic furrow to her brow that would not go away.
Yet something,someoneelse, stared back.
A stern matronly type caught in a visage some might consider young enough to get by. Youthful enough to start over. Did she ever want to be that young again, though? So naïve that nothing mattered but achieving the best marriage possible and bearing her husband a male heir? Then another and another. Mayhap even a girl once his lineage was well-and-truly-secured with boys to claim his rhetorical throne?
“Well done, Miss Agnus.” She stood and smoothed her dress. “This will do.”
Agnus nodded and spun on her heel, only to stop short at the door when Maude opened it.
She curtsied. “Lady MacLauchlin.”
True to form, Maude smiled as though Agnus were every bit her equal. “Miss Agnus.”
Her maid nodded and left, giving the sisters privacy.
“Oh, you look just—” Maude’s smile faltered when her gaze landed on Prudence—“just as you did, sister.”
Whatever did that mean? She frowned. “How else should I look?”
Maude was rather stunning in a lovely crème colored gown that showed more of her cleavage than necessary.
“Perhaps a little less like you cannot move past your mourning period.” As usual, and despite her esteemed position, Maude was as uncouth as ever when she took in Prudence’s attire. A functional high-waisted dark grey dress that buttoned straight up the neck, complete with a slightly less gray shawl to soften the look. “Did you not like the dresses I provided for you prior to your arrival? I imagine they would look quite becoming on you.”
“Perhaps if I were not just out of mourning because Iamjust out of such, sister, therefore my current attire is expected.” While tempted to pinch the bridge of her nose at the instant headache Maude had a way of bringing on, she straightened her shoulders and shook her head. “The dresses you provided were far too vibrant and inappropriate.” She clarified the situation. “You have no experience with losing a husband and how one suffers from that kind of loss. No idea what it feels like to be left alone in such….”
“Such what, sister?” Maude prompted when Prudence trailed off, ashamed she had nearly shared more than necessary. Shared what it was like to be caught in a world where one had to mourn a monster. Where even as she did, more monsters lined up, eyeing her for the wealth she might bring them.
“And may I never,” Maude said softly, seeing something Prudence had not meant for her to see.
Even so, or perhaps in spite of it, Maude frowned at Prudence’s outfit before she swept over to her armoire, whipped open the doors, and pulled out one of the dresses she had provided. “You should positively wear this.” Her sister held the lovely golden gown up against Prudence’s torso. “It would be stunning on you. The perfect dress for—”
“Dinner.” Prudence scowled and stepped away. “Are you not merely serving food this evening?” She gestured at the inappropriate dress. One she could not envision wearing anymore. “That is far too formal.”
“It is no more formal than my dress, and there will likely be dancing in addition to food.” Maude sighed. “Please just consider it? You are officially out of mourning now, so you can wear what you like. It would probably do you good and—”
“No.” Unwilling to spare the luxurious dress a second glance, she pulled her shawl more securely around her shoulders. “What I have on is just fine, Maude. Please take back your dress or store it away properly.”
Maude made to respond with something Prudence suspected worked against that idea but bit her tongue. Instead, shockingly enough, she nodded and returned the dress to the armoire. More surprising still, she made no further comment about Prudence’s attire but held out her elbow and requested she join her below stairs.
She could admit her sister had proven quite evolved since last they met. While she would like to credit it to being forced into behaving like a true lady at last, Agnus reported Lord MacLauchlin was not forceful in the least. If anything, the staff claimed he treated his servants like equals. Not just that but, as implied when Prudence first met him, did the same to her sister.
“Surely not,” she had said to Agnus. “He must be putting on some sort of airs during his initial months with Maude.”
“They claim not.” For the first time ever, Agnus seemed at a loss for words. “It is very—” her expression tightened, and she struggled for the right words—“very odd. Even for these people.”
“These people being the Scottish who had, as far as she could tell, shown both her and her maid a great deal of courtesy. No small thing considering how Agnus could be when they visited other households. She ran a tight, unforgiving ship when it came to her mistress’s needs. Not with kindness, either, but with a stern voice and a sharp, cold look that kept all in line.
So what Agnus reported could be trusted.
A very good thing, given Prudence had spent the past few days wondering how she should go about things. She had never felt so out of her element as she did in this castle. So discomforted, now that she was freed from one cage only to find herself closed off in another.
