She interrupted me, rolled her eyes, and said, “Here it comes!”
“Silly girl, the only thing you need to change is your clothes. Stop wearing that ugly gray dress and apron. You are not an old woman. Stop dressing like one. It’s these outfits that make you look...I don’t know how to say this without hurting your feelings.” I made a face at her, which made her laugh.
“Spit it out! Nothing you can say to me will hurt me. I trust you Lizzy.”
“Okay, these clothes make you look frumpy and a bit chubby. When I first met you I thought you were a short stout girl, but after closer observation, I can see now how little you are. Look at your arms and wrists - they are certainly no bigger than my own. Let me see your legs.”
She pulled up her gray skirt just above her knees and placed both legs out straight. “These tree trunks?”
“No way. You have great legs, Kelsey! Come on, follow me into my closet. You’ve done my wash a number of times already - pick something out; show me what you think is cute.”
As she rummaged through the clothes hanging in our walk-in closet, which also served as a dressing room, she stopped at the blue dress that I had worn to the gathering. “This is pretty,” she said, sliding a finger over the material.
I took it off the hanger and tossed it to her. “Try it on; I bet it fits you. Go on - try it. I’ll wait in the bedroom.”
A few moments later Kelsey walked out of my closet. Her face was glowing, her smile wide. “It fits!” she exclaimed proudly.
I took her gently by the arm and led her to my vanity table. “Sit,” I ordered. I started taking the clips out of her brown hair, letting it fall softly around her face, and using my brush, began to pull it through her hair. And, just as I thought, it was beautiful, shiny, wavy, and lustrous without all the barrettes and clips mashing it down. I watched her in the mirror. Her eyes were the same chocolate brown as her hair, and then she closed them, sighing softly, as she enjoyed the brushing. Everyone likes having someone mess with their hair, and I was sure that no one had ever taken the time to give her this little bit of joy. And now, I was having as much fun as she was.
I turned her to face me and said, “Can I try some makeup?” This scenario reminded me of the day I did Fiona’s makeover. A little war paint never hurt anyone, and she had found out firsthand the night of the gathering.
“I suppose.” Kelsey seemed hesitant at first, but then added, “Sure, why not?”
I applied a little eyeliner to make her eyes look larger. I put on some mascara, which made her lashes darker and fuller, some blush to make her cheekbones look higher, and a little lipstick to allow her mouth to stand out from the color of her skin - which was a soft olive color. She was gorgeous. I turned her around to face the mirror, and she gave a startled gasp, and said, “Crikey Moses! Lizzy! Oh my gosh, that’s not me!”
“You don’t like it?” I asked, feeling a little saddened.
“No, I love it! Will you teach me how to do this? Will you, please?” She stood and went to the full-length mirror grinning happily at her reflection. “I never knew makeup could do this. I thought you had to be pretty first.”
“You are pretty. Makeup isn’t a miracle. If you’ve got it, you’ve got it. If you don’t, even makeup won’t help! And Kelsey, your hair is beautiful. You just need to let it down more often. Quit putting it up in those ugly clips; just brush it through and let it hang down. It frames your face like a beautiful painting, and makes the color of your eyes stand out.”
I ran back into my closet and grabbed a pair of heels. “Try these on,” I said, placing them at her feet. Feet that looked surprisingly tiny after she took off the ugly white clodhopper shoes that her mother made her wear. She slipped into them like butter. Her stature changed as she became an inch and a half taller, and she posed in front of the mirror; a completely new woman.
“I wish we had a camera!” I said laughing with her. “Seriously, look at yourself!”
“I am! And I don’t believe what I see.” She put her hands on her hips just as Emrys came around the corner. We hadn’t heard the door open above our giggling and we both jumped when he seemed to appear out of nowhere.
“Emrys!” I nearly shouted, slapping a hand to my chest. “You scared me to death!”
“Me too!” Came the soft giggle of Kelsey.
“What is this? Who? Kelsey? Is that you, woman?” He couldn’t take his eyes offof her. If he had held his stare one second longer, I would’ve been jealous, but he gave me a wide grin and asked, “I assume this was all your idea?”
“Yes, it was. But I had a lot to work with. The real Kelsey’s been hiding under those gray clothes and hairpins all along. Isn’t she a beauty, Emrys?”
If it were possible, Kelsey would have turned brilliant red. But even though Ravens didn’t have that emotional response; she was definitely feeling unsettled. This time though, there was nothing for her to fidget with - no apron strings anyway. She started to twirl her hair between her fingers. “I should get changed. I’m sure you two want some privacy. Please forgive me, Master Emrys, if I have overstepped my bounds.”
Emrys came and stood beside me, and smiling at Kelsey, he said in a sweet understanding tone, “You have not overstepped your bounds, Kelsey.”
“Of course, she hasn’t. This was all my idea, and we had a good time with it, didn’t we?” I asked, grinning and turning back to my assistant.
“Actually, I can’t remember the last time I had such fun,” she admitted shyly.
I elbowed him in the rib and asked, “Well, what do you think?”
“Kelsey, you do look lovely.” Emrys nodded at her as she edged toward the closet door.
“You can bring the dress and shoes back tomorrow, Kelsey. I don’t need them tonight. Really, don’t worry about it.” I could see that Emrys was itching to tell me something and I didn’t want to wait until she changed back into her frumpy old-time servant’s clothes. “I think we should go shopping one of these days and find you something appropriate. There’s no reason to dress as if you’re still living in the 1800’s. Right, Emrys?”
“We can arrange a trip to London, if that is what you want, my dear wife. That is a very good idea.”
I wasn’t sure if he was so agreeable just to end this conversation, or if he meant it. I glanced over my shoulder as I walked Kelsey to the door. Emrys frowned at me, clearly disturbed at my silent musings. I paused at the door and touched Kelsey’s hair, softly stroking it out of her face. “You really do look lovely. Don’t ever let anyone tell you any differently. Rohan is an idiot, and you deserve much better than him.”
“Thank you, Lizzy. You are such a good friend.” Her shiny mouth turned up at the corners. “What time do you need me tomorrow?”
“Just get your things packed, and I will arrange to have them moved for you. After my fencing lesson, I think I can help you get unpacked and then we should go shopping, if there is time enough. There’s really not much else I can think of right now. You just did the wash yesterday. Let’s just play it by ear, shall we?”
She hesitated a moment, and then leaned in and hugged me tight, saying, “Thank you, Lizzy.” A lone tear escaped from her eye as she turned and started down the long hall. I stood just inside of our foyer watching her walk away and, after she passed the library, a head popped out of the doorway - someone gawked after her; someone with wavy amber hair that stuck out from under his baseball cap.
I smiled to myself, closed the door, and locked it. I was sure Royal had realized that it was Kelsey who had just strolled past him, and if he liked her before her metamorphosis, he was bound to appreciate how gorgeous she was now. And, if he had any brains, he’d hurry up and make his intentions known before someone else noticed her too.
Still smiling, I rejoined Emrys in the living room, and the first thing he did was embrace me tightly.
“Hi, you.” I said.
“Hello, wife,” he sighed, gazing into my eyes. “I would love to kiss you.” He kissed my
mouth, lingering longer than I expected. When he pulled back he asked, “How was your evening?” His touch, soft on my face with a fingertip of electricity, felt warm and welcome. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too, but I did have a nice time with Kelsey.” I cleared my throat, growing serious and said, “She told me that Rohan paid her a visit yesterday, sometime before he called upon me in the car.” It was getting more difficult to even speak his name without choking on it, and I was sure Emrys could hear the fear in my voice.
Emrys closed his eyes and took a large, deep breath, no doubt gathering some semblance of calmness before he spoke, but I already felt the tension in his arms. “What?” he snarled. “How the bloody hell did he get past the gate?”
“I don’t know.”
“I shall have to send out reinforcements then. Perhaps guard dogs are in order. We simply do not have enough staff members to patrol the area twenty-four hours a day. We will have to hire more security. I cannot take a chance on him getting through again.” He paused, shaking his head. “He seems to be getting even more bold. I have never seen him act out like this.”
As much as I tried to stop thinking about it, I couldn’t help myself; I started to feel fearful even as he held me close. “What about the fact that he’s a flyer? Guard dogs or not, he’d still manage to get onto the property if he put his mind to it, couldn’t he?”
Emrys nodded his head slowly, but his agreeing with me only made me feel worse. I remembered what his meeting had been about; and the reality of what needed to be done was beginning to set in, no longer just a thought, but a real necessity. I wondered how the other board members felt.
“It was a rough meeting.” He yawned as we walked over to the bed, turned it down, and sat on the edge together.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked. I didn’t think he would tell me, but I wanted him to know I’d be willing to listen, if he wanted me to.
“There was one dissension. I cannot say who it was.” When he saw my frown, he added, “It was a secret ballot. Under most conditions the vote must be unanimous, especially for this… action. But now that you tell me this news, it is plain to see I shall have to use my power of Regent to override the vote; I must claim and invoke Ultimum Decretum.”
“Ultimum what?” I was fluent in pig Latin, but the rest of my Latin was iffy.
He yawned enormously, his eyes watered, and he looked somber, exhausted, and angry. “Final decision - final judgment. Call it what you will, if I invoke Ultimum Decretum, the choice is mine.”
“You could do that?”
“By all means. Once the vote was in, Latimer reminded and encouraged me - privately, of course. He was very close to my father, you see, and he fears the accuracy of the acorn cliché.”
Emrys covered his mouth and yawned once again. I had never seen him look this tired. His face seemed pale, and he had dark circles under his eyes. He sat there for a few minutes just staring and then removed his shirt and tossed it to the end of the bed.
“I am so tired from talking and arguing my point. I can hardly stay awake.”
I nudged him back onto the bed and peeled off his socks and then his pants. His eyes were closed as I covered him with the sheet and quilts. I kissed his forehead and began to tiptoe away.
“Where are you going?” he murmured half into the pillow.
“To change into my nightgown,” I whispered.
“Just turn off the lights and come to bed. You will not need your nightgown.” He smiled even though his eyes were still closed.
“I thought you just said you were so tired.”
“Shh,” he said, in a whisper. “No talking... Turn off lights... come to bed...never too tired for you...hurry.” His voice was barely audible.
By the time I finished with all the lights and bathroom routine he was snoring softly. I eased into bed, trying not to disturb him, but he reached for me in the dark. “Come, my wife. Let us make beautiful love together. I love you so much, Elizabeth.”
I curled into his warm, electric embrace and settled into what was now, our most familiar sleeping position: me in front, he in back, on our sides, touching, spooning, legs entwined together, his arm around my waist. I knew he was half asleep, too tired to actually make love. As I lay there wrapped in his comforting warmness, I realized this would be the first time since our wedding that we would not be having sex, and a part of me felt quite sad. I realized how emotionally exhausted he must be and wondered when he had last had a drink of Ambrosia. It was possible he was a little depleted, which would explain his extreme fatigue.
Perhaps he needs a drink.
Soft moonlight filtered through the window and in the beam of light I noticed my glass still sitting on the vanity table. I must have left it there when I did Kelsey’s hair and makeup, and I could see in the faint glow that it was more than half-full.
Perfect!
I eased myself out from under Emrys and the covers and tiptoed to the table. I returned to the bed, sat gently on the edge, and before waking him, lifted the glass to take a sip of the sweet delicate redness. It was too hard to pass up myself after catching the scent, and I finished off the whole thing. Feeling guilty and selfish, I ran back to the fridge for a fresh container. After warming it up and setting it on the side table, I felt a gentle hand on my back.
“Give me a sip, would you my love?”
I turned and handed Emrys the glass. He raised his head off the pillow just enough to swallow, and a moment later he handed me the empty glass.
“You were right. I really needed that. Now come here, we cannot have you going to sleep sad.”
CHAPTER 12
LEARN YOUR LESSONS WELL
The next morning when we were at breakfast I made sure to speak to Royal before Kelsey appeared at the table. When I asked him if he might possibly be available to help move her boxes and things, he turned three shades of red and choked on his juice. I’m not sure if his red face was from embarrassment or choking. But after he caught his breath and regained his composure, he wiped his mouth with a napkin and stammered, “Sure, I would love to…I mean, yes, I can help. I don’t mind in the least.”
I knew I was right!
“Good! I told her you wouldn’t mind!” I smiled at him and sat down to the right of Emrys. “Do you know where Kelsey’s quarters are Royal?”
“Yes, I do.” He blushed again, but then quickly explained, “She is just down the hall from my room.”
Priscilla swung through the doors with two huge plates of steaming hot waffles and placed one down on each end of the table. As she edged near, she bent to whisper into Emrys’ ear, but loud enough to be sure I heard. “If you do not mind, Master Emrys, Kelsey decided to help me this one more morning, since our new girl will only be arriving this afternoon, as you know.” She turned her head toward me and added, “If that is alright with you both?”
Emrys nodded as he picked up his fork and stabbed two enormous waffles, apparently too hungry to talk. I smiled at her and said, “Of course. I really appreciate your understanding our new arrangements. Kelsey will be a tremendous assistant, and it will be so nice having her just upstairs from us. She will get along just fine, you’ll see.”
I had hoped to alleviate any concern Priscilla had regarding the general welfare of her only child, but she stood up straight and put her hand on her chest, “Oh my, you do not need to trouble yourself with me. I know my daughter well enough. She’s a good worker, strong and steady. I’m most grateful you’ve taken a liking to her, Miss Elizabeth. That girl has needed a real friend for quite some time - someone other than her old mother, surely! And how I will enjoy some privacy myself! It’s about bloody time the girl got on with her life instead of pining away thinking about Ro....” She stopped short, looking disconcerted, and whispered, “I’m so sorry, ma’am. I will not mention that name again.” She scurried away before I could say a word.
I wasn’t quite sure if she stopped herself when she saw the look in my eyes at the
mention of Rohan’s name, or because she noticed Kelsey come through the door carrying two large jars of hot maple syrup and a platter of bacon. The room immediately filled with the aroma of smoked meat and sweet maple, but what was even more noticeable, was that Kelsey wasn’t wearing her worn out gray dress and the blasted white apron. Instead, she wore a pair of jeans and a very pretty blue top with cap sleeves and a V-neck. And her hair was not pinned up, but softly framed her face. She seemed more at ease, less unsure of herself than usual.
I glanced down the table to where Royal sat and noticed his eyes following Kelsey the whole time as she passed the bacon around. As she neared him, he became visibly nervous, his eyes averted to his plate, and he didn’t look up again until she passed by. I turned and smiled at Emrys as he caught my fleeting thought about my vision being dead on.
See? Told ya so!
He raised an eyebrow at me, and it was plain to see he had to force himself to keep a straight face. He cut off a piece of waffle and stuffed it ungracefully into his mouth, and before he finished chewing, he crammed in half a slice of bacon. I got the hint: save this conversation for later.
I chatted for a few minutes with Fiona and Melinda, asking them what they had planned for the day. Fiona said that she and Rufus were planning a short day trip to the countryside, maybe seeing the White Cliffs of Dover, but that was if the weather cooperated; otherwise, they thought they’d see a movie closer to home.
Melinda looked at Gavin and gave him a thin grin, saying, “We did have plans, but...something else came up.”
“Indeed we did, but I’ll be a bit tied up today,” Gavin explained. “I have two interviews. It seems we are in need of a new gatekeeper.” He smiled at her apologetically, raising an eyebrow.
Lindy touched his hand and said, “I’m in the middle of a great book. I’ll probably just read while you’re busy.” Glancing back at me she added, “We had talked about going for a boat ride, but I think it’s supposed to rain anyway. So what are you two up to today, Lizzy?” She picked up a piece of bacon and nibbled on it.
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