pushing the door wider. “Now,” she asked, “have you come to tell me that my stepmother wishes to see me?”
“Er, no, milady, I was told to help you get dressed. Supper is in a half hour. I’m to unpack your belongings and see what you wish to wear down below.”
“Oh. Well then, do come in. What is your name?”
“Marnie, milady.”
“Can you give me a hint as to what I should put on?”
Keeping one eye on Simon, and moving slowly, Marnie approached the bed. Her eyes blinked several times as she noted Dulcie’s single portmanteau lying open, packed with what seemed a few wrinkled, colorless gowns. She hummed in surprise.
“Is something wrong?” Dulcie asked.
“No … ’tis only that…”
“What?” Dulcie continued, still puzzled.
“Have the rest of your things been left downstairs, milady? If so, I’ll find Robert and have him fetch your trunk up right off.”
Dulcie frowned. Obviously, the maid was confused. “This is all that I brought with me.”
Poor Marnie turned the color of beets.
“I don’t own anything fancy,” Dulcie went on, spreading open her portmanteau and pulling out a dull, green gown with little trimming or any prettiness to excite a man’s interest. She shook out the folds. “This will do if you can press out the wrinkles for me. Perhaps, you’ll be kind enough to help me with my hair, too. I’m afraid it’s in quite a tangle.”
“Yes, milady.” Marnie cautiously scurried out of the room to do what she was bid, the plain gown draped over her arm.
* * * *
The little maid is quite solicitous, Dulcie thought, as the girl carefully brushed and fussed with Dulcie’s hair. When she held up a hand mirror to show what she had accomplished, Dulcie slipped on her spectacles, her eyes gleaming with pleasure behind the lenses. “My goodness! You’re a wonder, Marnie,” she said. “I never looked so fine.”
However, Dulcie’s expression soon dimmed. “Unfortunately, you must take my hair down again. What I’m wearing doesn’t match the coiffure’s elegance.” She smiled ruefully. “I am simply a country mouse come to goggle at London’s world and what goes on here in the Metropolis,” Dulcie explained. She began pulling hairpins out of her hair. “You must brush it out again, Marnie. I’ll simply tie it back with a ribbon.”
“Oh, milady, what a shame!”
“You can dress my hair after I purchase a few fancier gowns.” She glanced back at the girl, who wore a distressed look on her rotund, freckled countenance.
“Oh, I do hope so, milady. It did look very nice on you when I did it up.”
“We’ll see.”
After the maid did as she was asked, and tied a ribbon around Dulcie’s tresses, Dulcie rose from her seat in front of the vanity and smiled. “I expect it is time to go down to supper.”
Simon yipped when the dinner gong rang a second time. He trotted toward the door of Dulcie’s room and sat staring up at it. She realized the dog was anxious for another outing.
“I will finish your unpacking while you are at supper, milady, but I hope you’re not leaving, er, the dog here with me. I-I’m still a bit nervous with the animal. You see, the countess never allowed a dog in the house, and…”
“Not to worry, Marnie. Simon will go down to supper with me.”
“Oh, my!” The girl’s eyebrows jumped a notch higher on her forehead.
Dulcie attached the dog’s leash and smiled at her maid. “Direct me to the dining room, will you? I’m afraid I don’t know my way around the house.”
“’Tis to the left and toward the rear of the foyer, milady, but…”
“I’m sure the countess will accept Simon’s presence.” As she left the room, Dulcie held tight to her determination that the dog was to accompany her wherever she went.
The young maid watched, a worried frown creasing her forehead. She peeked from the doorway as Dulcie started down the hallway, leading the dog, and descending one of the curving staircases to the
“Er, no, milady, I was told to help you get dressed. Supper is in a half hour. I’m to unpack your belongings and see what you wish to wear down below.”
“Oh. Well then, do come in. What is your name?”
“Marnie, milady.”
“Can you give me a hint as to what I should put on?”
Keeping one eye on Simon, and moving slowly, Marnie approached the bed. Her eyes blinked several times as she noted Dulcie’s single portmanteau lying open, packed with what seemed a few wrinkled, colorless gowns. She hummed in surprise.
“Is something wrong?” Dulcie asked.
“No … ’tis only that…”
“What?” Dulcie continued, still puzzled.
“Have the rest of your things been left downstairs, milady? If so, I’ll find Robert and have him fetch your trunk up right off.”
Dulcie frowned. Obviously, the maid was confused. “This is all that I brought with me.”
Poor Marnie turned the color of beets.
“I don’t own anything fancy,” Dulcie went on, spreading open her portmanteau and pulling out a dull, green gown with little trimming or any prettiness to excite a man’s interest. She shook out the folds. “This will do if you can press out the wrinkles for me. Perhaps, you’ll be kind enough to help me with my hair, too. I’m afraid it’s in quite a tangle.”
“Yes, milady.” Marnie cautiously scurried out of the room to do what she was bid, the plain gown draped over her arm.
* * * *
The little maid is quite solicitous, Dulcie thought, as the girl carefully brushed and fussed with Dulcie’s hair. When she held up a hand mirror to show what she had accomplished, Dulcie slipped on her spectacles, her eyes gleaming with pleasure behind the lenses. “My goodness! You’re a wonder, Marnie,” she said. “I never looked so fine.”
However, Dulcie’s expression soon dimmed. “Unfortunately, you must take my hair down again. What I’m wearing doesn’t match the coiffure’s elegance.” She smiled ruefully. “I am simply a country mouse come to goggle at London’s world and what goes on here in the Metropolis,” Dulcie explained. She began pulling hairpins out of her hair. “You must brush it out again, Marnie. I’ll simply tie it back with a ribbon.”
“Oh, milady, what a shame!”
“You can dress my hair after I purchase a few fancier gowns.” She glanced back at the girl, who wore a distressed look on her rotund, freckled countenance.
“Oh, I do hope so, milady. It did look very nice on you when I did it up.”
“We’ll see.”
After the maid did as she was asked, and tied a ribbon around Dulcie’s tresses, Dulcie rose from her seat in front of the vanity and smiled. “I expect it is time to go down to supper.”
Simon yipped when the dinner gong rang a second time. He trotted toward the door of Dulcie’s room and sat staring up at it. She realized the dog was anxious for another outing.
“I will finish your unpacking while you are at supper, milady, but I hope you’re not leaving, er, the dog here with me. I-I’m still a bit nervous with the animal. You see, the countess never allowed a dog in the house, and…”
“Not to worry, Marnie. Simon will go down to supper with me.”
“Oh, my!” The girl’s eyebrows jumped a notch higher on her forehead.
Dulcie attached the dog’s leash and smiled at her maid. “Direct me to the dining room, will you? I’m afraid I don’t know my way around the house.”
“’Tis to the left and toward the rear of the foyer, milady, but…”
“I’m sure the countess will accept Simon’s presence.” As she left the room, Dulcie held tight to her determination that the dog was to accompany her wherever she went.
The young maid watched, a worried frown creasing her forehead. She peeked from the doorway as Dulcie started down the hallway, leading the dog, and descending one of the curving staircases to the
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