This Heart of Mine by Bertrice Small

sister had finally fallen asleep, and Velvet settled herself quietly in the dressing room. Mama and Papa weren’t going to be angry at her for avoiding a quick marriage to the earl. They would understand why she had done what she was going to do. After all, she hadn’t said she wasn’t going to honor her betrothal. She simply wanted time to get to know the earl, and she wanted to wait until her parents returned from their voyage to make her decision. It wasn’t a great deal to ask, despite what her uncle and her brother-in-law thought. Velvet closed her eyes and dozed.
    She was awakened by a maidservant bringing her clothing into the room. “Is it time to dress?” she asked groggily.
    “Aye, Mistress Velvet. Lodema has prepared baths for both you and m’lady.” Lodema was Deirdre’s fiercely protective tiring woman.
    Velvet arose and the servant girl helped her to disrobe so that she might wash. Deirdre was already happily splashing in her oaken tub by the fire in the other room, while Lodema grumbled fussily at her.
    “All this washing, and in your state. ’Tis unhealthy, I tell you, m’lady.”
    “Nonsense!” The nap had restored Deirdre’s good humor and confidence. “Hurry, Velvet, or your water will be chilled,” she called to her younger sister.
    Velvet came shyly from the dressing room, somewhat embarrassed by her nudity. She quickly got into the tub, then wrinkled her nose in delight. “Gillyflowers! Oh, Deirdre, you remembered!”
    “Hyacinth for me and gillyflowers for you. Of course I remember. I was twelve when Mama gave me my own scent, and you cried and cried until she chose one for you also, even though you were much too young for a fragrance.”
    Velvet giggled. “I remember,” she said, “but I only wanted to be like my big sister, and you had a perfume and I didn’t.”
    “Fiddlesticks!” replied Deirdre firmly. “You were a spoilt minx, Velvet, and you still are!” Then she chuckled. “But, damn me, little sister, if you don’t have charm! I’ve never known anyone so able to get people to give you your way and yet never feel resentful about it.”
    “Are you planning to greet the queen in your shift, m’lady, because that’s all you’re going to have time to get into unless you get out of that tub!” Lodema grumbled at her mistress, and when Velvet giggled again, the tiring woman turned a baleful eye on the girl. “As for you, mistress, you’d best wash yourself quickly, or you’ll be joining your sister in a chemise! Hurry along now, both of you!”
    The two finished bathing quickly, then left their tubs to be dried and powdered by two waiting undermaids. Velvet dressed in her silken undergarments swiftly, not liking to be nude before unfamiliar servants. She glanced at her sister’s protruding belly and thought that even so Deirdre was the most beautiful creature, almost their mother’s mirror image.
    Their gowns were brought; both sisters had chosen to wear velvet as the day was cool. Deirdre’s dress was a rich ruby red with an underskirt of white satin embroidered in silver thread. Silver and white puffed and slashed sleeves also showed through the rich velvet. About her neck was a strand of marvelous pearls to which was fastened a heart carved from a single large ruby, and in her ears Deirdre wore pear-shaped pearls that dangled from small rubies. Her black hair was simply dressed in a French chignon at the nape of her neck and fastened with jeweled pins; upon her slender fingers were several beautiful rings.
    Velvet’s gown was similar to her sister’s in design, with a charming bell skirt. It was a rich forest green in color, its satin underskirt a lighter green embroidered in gold thread; the chemisette showing through the sleeve slashes was a golden color. The dress was a birthday gift from her aunt and uncle, and was the only really fashionable one she possessed. Herlovely auburn hair fell in tempting ringlets about her shoulders, and around her neck she