the queen.
Before Alyse could take it all in, the women, led by Maurya, began to unfasten her clothing.
Now it comes .
Helpless, Alyse could only stand and allow them to strip her, layer by layer. Anne unlaced her gown, Lady Margaret removed her jewelry, Lady Catherine slipped her shoes off, and Lady Carlyle coaxed her arms out of her surcote and cote. That lady still conveyed her thinly-veiled contempt through hard looks and narrowed eyes, making Alyse wish the woman had not waited upon her. She had enough to endure without the addition of a disagreeable attendant.
Maurya had unpinned her crepine and let down her hair. As Alyse stood, now in nothing but her shift, Maurya brushed the long black tresses, arranging them over her shoulder to fall on either side of her breasts.
“You shall have to do that all over again, Maurya.” Anne folded her gown and placed it in her chest. “Once we take her shift off.”
Heat flared in Alyse’s face—not only in her cheeks, but her nose and forehead seemed on fire as well. To be stripped naked before these ladies of the court, and in front of Thomas as well, would shame her unmercifully. The reasoning, she had been told, was to ensure that she and Thomas had hidden nothing from one another, so that no other person would end up in the marriage bed.
Could they think of no better way to assure that?
A knock sounded on the door.
Anne grabbed the end of Alyse’s shift and tried to pull it over her head.
“Nay!” Alyse seized the garment and snatched it out of Anne’s hands.
“Alyse!” Anne clutched at the fabric, trying to grasp it. “We must remove your shift before your bridegroom sees you!”
“You will not!” Alyse wrapped her arms around herself, pinning her shift to her body.
“But—”
“I have said!” She flung Anne away, drew herself up and nodded to Lady Catherine. “Allow my lord entry.”
Wide-eyed, the woman tugged the door open, revealing Princess Joanna, a look of astonishment on her face. “Ladies! What is going on here?”
All the wome n curtsied, including Alyse, who still clutched her shift around her.
“She refuses to allow the bedding to proceed, Highness.” Anne pointed at Alyse and tossed her head. “I have no idea but that Lord Braeton will think she has something to hide.”
Joanna came forward to stand beside Alyse. “Oh, I think his lordship will find his bride has nothing to conceal from him, whether she reveals everything at once or a little at a time.” She smiled at Alyse and handed her a parcel wrapped in white silk. “Mayhap you would wear this for your bridegroom tonight? ’Tis not quite the custom, yet I believe Lord Braeton will much appreciate the garment.”
“My great thanks, Your Highness.” Alyse took the package with trembling fingers. Swiftly she unwrapped it and gasped in wonder. The delicate blue silk shift she drew forth was exquisite, soft as a whisper and embellished at collar and cuffs with tiny seed pearls. And all but transparent. When she held it before her face, she could see the ladies in the room quite clearly. As everyone would be able to see her as well. Still, any type of covering was preferable to none.
“It is beyond beautiful, Highness. I shall treasure it always and,” Alyse drew in a deep breath, “I will be overjoyed to wear it for my lord tonight.”
Joanna clapped her hands and laughed. “Then you must make haste to don it. Your bridegroom follows not far behind me.”
With the sigh of a martyr at the stake, Alyse nodded, and Anne leaped forth and stripped the linen shift from her. Her cheeks heated as she caught the frank stares of the other ladies. She fought the impulse to shield her breasts and womanhood; apparently, brides were expected to be appraised as if a horse at market. The only stare that sent a shiver up her back, however, was Lady Carlyle’s. The woman’s lips twisted into a sneer as her gaze swept Alyse from head to toe. A look of triumph she did not
Before Alyse could take it all in, the women, led by Maurya, began to unfasten her clothing.
Now it comes .
Helpless, Alyse could only stand and allow them to strip her, layer by layer. Anne unlaced her gown, Lady Margaret removed her jewelry, Lady Catherine slipped her shoes off, and Lady Carlyle coaxed her arms out of her surcote and cote. That lady still conveyed her thinly-veiled contempt through hard looks and narrowed eyes, making Alyse wish the woman had not waited upon her. She had enough to endure without the addition of a disagreeable attendant.
Maurya had unpinned her crepine and let down her hair. As Alyse stood, now in nothing but her shift, Maurya brushed the long black tresses, arranging them over her shoulder to fall on either side of her breasts.
“You shall have to do that all over again, Maurya.” Anne folded her gown and placed it in her chest. “Once we take her shift off.”
Heat flared in Alyse’s face—not only in her cheeks, but her nose and forehead seemed on fire as well. To be stripped naked before these ladies of the court, and in front of Thomas as well, would shame her unmercifully. The reasoning, she had been told, was to ensure that she and Thomas had hidden nothing from one another, so that no other person would end up in the marriage bed.
Could they think of no better way to assure that?
A knock sounded on the door.
Anne grabbed the end of Alyse’s shift and tried to pull it over her head.
“Nay!” Alyse seized the garment and snatched it out of Anne’s hands.
“Alyse!” Anne clutched at the fabric, trying to grasp it. “We must remove your shift before your bridegroom sees you!”
“You will not!” Alyse wrapped her arms around herself, pinning her shift to her body.
“But—”
“I have said!” She flung Anne away, drew herself up and nodded to Lady Catherine. “Allow my lord entry.”
Wide-eyed, the woman tugged the door open, revealing Princess Joanna, a look of astonishment on her face. “Ladies! What is going on here?”
All the wome n curtsied, including Alyse, who still clutched her shift around her.
“She refuses to allow the bedding to proceed, Highness.” Anne pointed at Alyse and tossed her head. “I have no idea but that Lord Braeton will think she has something to hide.”
Joanna came forward to stand beside Alyse. “Oh, I think his lordship will find his bride has nothing to conceal from him, whether she reveals everything at once or a little at a time.” She smiled at Alyse and handed her a parcel wrapped in white silk. “Mayhap you would wear this for your bridegroom tonight? ’Tis not quite the custom, yet I believe Lord Braeton will much appreciate the garment.”
“My great thanks, Your Highness.” Alyse took the package with trembling fingers. Swiftly she unwrapped it and gasped in wonder. The delicate blue silk shift she drew forth was exquisite, soft as a whisper and embellished at collar and cuffs with tiny seed pearls. And all but transparent. When she held it before her face, she could see the ladies in the room quite clearly. As everyone would be able to see her as well. Still, any type of covering was preferable to none.
“It is beyond beautiful, Highness. I shall treasure it always and,” Alyse drew in a deep breath, “I will be overjoyed to wear it for my lord tonight.”
Joanna clapped her hands and laughed. “Then you must make haste to don it. Your bridegroom follows not far behind me.”
With the sigh of a martyr at the stake, Alyse nodded, and Anne leaped forth and stripped the linen shift from her. Her cheeks heated as she caught the frank stares of the other ladies. She fought the impulse to shield her breasts and womanhood; apparently, brides were expected to be appraised as if a horse at market. The only stare that sent a shiver up her back, however, was Lady Carlyle’s. The woman’s lips twisted into a sneer as her gaze swept Alyse from head to toe. A look of triumph she did not
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