Simon emphasised the words 'very' and 'thorough', and somehow that pulled Nick out of his sleep-induced confusion. He laughed and said ruefully,
'Again, I'm sorry you had to smell that. We spent some time on each other, because of, well, you know why.'
As he moved towards Nick's wash stand, hoping there would be plenty of water, Simon nodded, 'We did that, too.'
'Except you clearly didn't fall asleep afterwards, without washing up first.'
'I wanted to, but Frederick didn't let me. Since he had let me choose his wedding clothes he insisted I apply them to him. You were kicked out, I hope gracefully.'
'I was, but I was knackered, so I lay down for a few moments before taking my time washing and dressing....'
Simon shrugged, busying himself filling the large bowl with a mixture of water and soap, glad Nick even had some in his very bare room.
'Never mind, better come here and start washing, I'll lay out your pantaloons and coat, and I have a modest cravat with me. And I'm warning you, I have a very keen nose and I'll check when you're done. If I can smell even a hint of lady's flower on you I'll scrub it off myself.'
Since Nick, very much awake now and still nude and not at all embarrassed to be in that state before Simon, laughed heartily at this rude speech, Simon felt free to check his thoroughness once in a while, as he picked out Nick's best pantaloons and his one good coat from the barest of wardrobes. Used to wearing a livery, Nick did not have a single shirt Simon deemed worthy of tying a cravat around, so he checked Nick's progress washing one last time, finding him very thorough indeed, using soap as liberally as Simon wanted him to, and said, 'You're much of a size to Frederick, I'm fetching you a smart shirt from his wardrobe, I want you to look your best for your little lady today. Though I suppose she will be simpering over you the whole time anyway, I don't think a sturdy fellow like you falls asleep afterwards as a rule, you must have really made an impression on her.'
Nick looked up and did not protest, his mind might still be partly asleep after all though he was progressing nicely with the clean-up, and merely said,
'Thank you, Simon.'
When Simon returned with the shirt Nick smelled a lot better, and he had made up his bed and opened a window. He was wearing the pantaloons, and let Simon put the shirt on him and even tuck it in his pantaloons the right way, which was a bit intimate but nothing a valet wasn't expected to do for
his master. Buttoning the collar, Simon demonstratively sniffed his friend's face, and discerned nothing but the lavender of the soap.
'And, do I pass muster or is it the floor brush and the soft soap for me?'
'I'm just glad I won't have to tell Mrs Reynolds on you. However, you will not smell of lavender soap today but like a gentleman, which is why I brought you a present from Frederick.'
Per Frederick's request, Simon handed Nick a small glass bottle with a likewise glass stopper. There was no label on the bottle, but Simon knew it had come from a reputable perfumer in London, where Frederick had chosen it in person as a wedding gift for Nick. Simon hoped he would appreciate it, it was a princely gift but few from Nick's walk of life would recognise its value.
At the very least Nick didn't strike him as a man who would find perfume effeminate.
'You mean Frederick brought that from London for me? A whole bottle of real perfume?'
Apparently, Nick did belong to the few.
'The girls always begged to be allowed perfume, but Mr Blackwood wouldn't have it, said it would only turn their heads. Can I smell it?'
'It's yours, Nick, just be careful you don't drop the bottle.'
Nick's large hands held the bottle carefully as he worked out the stopper, then held it to his nose. His expression became one of wonderment.
'It's lovely, Simon, and different from yours, isn't it?'
'They're all different, Frederick had this made for you, it's supposed to fit your personality. May I smell it?'
Nick held the stopper in front of him, and Simon took a deep whiff of the perfume. It was very good, not too heavy for an already burly man, and neither so strong as to overpower his own personal scent, which would give an effeminate impression, nor too light, which would fade too quickly.
'I like it, I think it will be a great match with your personality.'
'How do I apply it?'
Simon showed Nick, after which Nick carefully put away the bottle in a dark corner of his wardrobe.
'Do not save it for special occasions, and make sure to close the stopper well, for it does evaporate slightly, and nothing will be left after a year or so.'
After that, Simon tied the cravat and helped Nick with his coat, then arranged his hair just the tiniest bit. When giving him a last lookover, Simon smelled the perfume in concurrence with the man it had been made for.
'You look fine, and smell even better. Why don't you have a mirror?'
'I'm just a guard, remember? I use Anne's when I need one.'
'Well, you cannot use hers now, so you'd better come with me to Frederick's room and use ours.'
'Great, I want to thank him for the perfume, no-one has ever gifted me with something so...'
'Useless?' supplied Simon cheekily.
'No, it's not useless, especially not today. I was afraid to lose Anne because of this marriage, Simon, I couldn't imagine Frederick not claiming his wife. This gift makes me feel worthy of her, and of course the fact that he took the trouble to choose it, especially for me, proves Anne was right.'
No wonder he had been worn out, poor man. He still didn't believe things would work out as he hoped.
'Do you believe now, Nick?'
'I suppose I do. But you can imagine how it heartens me to have Frederick do something like that for me.'
'I do, Nick. And remember, I'll be right next to you during the whole of it, and I have no doubts, Frederick can be trusted, and he likes you. Everything will be fine, you'll see. Mrs Reynolds told me Anne had requested a whole bottle of brandy in her room, after the wedding. We go way back, you know, Mrs Reynolds and I, I can guess she was worried, a lady with brandy? On her wedding day? I suppose we are going to have a little celebration in Anne's room, so I told the good lady it was nothing to worry about. I do think we'll have to bring our own glasses, you and I, and join the fun through your room.'
Nick still didn't believe it altogether. Well, then there was nothing Simon could do but help him through the wedding and let Frederick prove himself.
Simon did not knock before entering Frederick's room, he merely pulled Nick inside and took him to the large mirror, to show him his hair and the effect of the cravat. A white one, Nick was not ready for a black one, not by far. He was not comfortable in Frederick's room without invitation, but Simon ignored his fidgeting and waited for his reaction. Predictably, Frederick put away the papers he had been reading and stood behind them.
'You are looking very smart, Nick,' he said, and only Simon could hear he was actually a bit nervous about this whole wedding business.
Nick turned towards him and observed, 'Thank you, Frederick. And thank you very much for the perfume, it's lovely. Do you want to smell it? Simon
has made sure there is no hint of possible distraction on me.'
Cheeky fellow. Good for him.
Frederick did look a bit puzzled but he stepped towards Nick and sniffed.
Then he smiled.
'It is just perfect, I knew it. A slight touch of sandalwood is just the thing for you. I'm glad you like it, I did wonder.'
'I love luxuries, Frederick, though I haven't been able to afford many I know how to value them. Probably even more so than if I'd been raised with them.
Thank you again for all that you have done for me. I'm sorry if I haven't been very gracious in accepting your offer of friendship. It's all a bit new for me.'
Frederick couldn't help touching Nick, but he managed to restrict himself to laying his hand on a broad shoulder.
'I can imagine, I just hope we can become
friends in due time. Are you holding up?'
'I could pretend I am, but I'm not. I'm nervous and afraid, you all tell me everything will be fine but I still fear to lose Anne, to end up alone and destitute. My mind tells me you can be trusted and we will live happily ever after, but my heart quails. Anne told me to buckle up or have her standing at the altar crying. I don't know what to do, I'm afraid to ruin your moment.'
He did trust Frederick or he would not have admitted to that. Such a strange quandary for both.
'Oh, Nick, I can't help it, I have to hug you. We should have talked, I didn't want to upset you since you were so fearful whenever I singled you out so I just ignored it, and now it's too late, the moment is almost here.'
Nick allowed Frederick to hold him, they could indeed have been brothers, especially now they were both similarly attired, and with Nick's manners so gracious, after a mere two weeks of instruction, counting their days on the road.
'I cannot promise you that Anne's love will be yours forever, because she is her own person and love sometimes doesn't last. But I can and will promise you I will not come between the two of you, I want Anne to be happy and you two love each other very much. And I promise you that whatever happens you will not be left destitute. And the wedding is not our moment, Nick, because I want to be in Simon's arms, kissing him, and Anne wants to be in yours, kissing you. Our moment will come after the ceremony, when the four of us are together in private. Now I may have something to make the next few hours a bit easier on you, just tell me if you think it will work.'
And while Simon changed his clothes to his very own smart shirt, pantaloons, coat and cravat, not forgetting to make his own frightened owl hairstyle and apply a dab of perfume, and Nick watched him do all this at lightning speed and to total perfection, Frederick fetched a bottle and three glasses from a beautiful wardrobe on the opposite side of the room, and poured three glasses of something, judging by the colour and smell it was whisky, and before Simon was ready his lover handed Nick a glass, and picked one up himself.
'Can you toast with us before you continue, Simon?'
Simon did think he could use a little drink for he, too, was feeling out of sorts, and indeed Nick's fatalistic attitude was a bit infectious.
So, his shirt tucked in his pantaloons but the buttons still undone and his cravat hanging limp on his chest, Simon raised a glass with his beloved and with his kind-of-husband-to-be. Frederick had one arm around Nick and held his glass in the other, pointing it towards their reflection in the mirror.
'We can pass for brothers, Nick, you see that? Keep faith, gentlemen, and all will be well.'
After catching Simon's eye, expressing all the love he felt with nothing but his facial expression, Frederick tossed that drink away as if it was water, but in fact it was indeed whisky and a really good one. Simon could handle but a sip of the strong stuff. Nick took one large tug from his glass, then his eyes widened and he exclaimed, 'This is the best booze I ever had, gentlemen.'
Still standing next to Frederick, he sniffed himself, then sniffed Frederick.
'Drink well, smell well, I think I could get used to this.'
'That's the spirit, dear Nick. Now as soon as Simon is ready, we'll be the best actors possible in the best play currently available for a very private audience.
Do you think Anne needs a stiff drink, too?'
Nick shook his head and said with more than a little awe, 'She is much stronger than any of us. I suppose all women are. You've seen what she goes through each month, I'd just lay down and wait to die.'
Putting the finishing touches on his hair, Simon commented, 'We'll give her one afterwards. While our cares are over, hers are just beginning, living with three men!'
And with a well-meant laugh they left Frederick's room to fetch Anne, and join the rest of the family in the hall to wait for the carriages.
But Anne was not alone in her bedroom, Elizabeth and Georgiana were watching how Dora dressed her and did her hair. Dora's skills as a maid were
progressing quickly, like Fanny's had done, they had plenty of time together since neither of their mistresses needed much help dressing these days.
Fanny had assured Elizabeth that she and Dora were doing well.
'We're in luck that Mrs Eliot is still here, ma'am, now both she and Mrs Reynolds have enough time to show us how things are done in a large household. Mrs Eliot has told us all about the family she used to live with, and she is so good at explaining things. And Dora and I try techniques on each other's hair and face, it's like having a sister here. She has siblings, too, that she misses a lot, you know. And ma'am, she is in love with Fowler, I could just see it, the way she looked at him, so I asked, and she said it was true, but he'd warned her he didn't do that with people from the same household. She's not angry with him, but sometimes she's sad. And still he helps her to learn to how to read and write well, she couldn't, you see, no-one had taken the trouble to teach her.'
Elizabeth had seen signs of that before, but what could she do? Girls fell in love with men like that, they just couldn't help themselves.
Still, Dora seemed happy enough, following Fanny around, learning new things, and today she had the prime charge, the bride. Fanny had done Elizabeth's hair and dress, and Georgiana's, but somehow things were different in the country, dresses seemed so unimportant suddenly, and the wedding would be a very private affair anyway. Had Elizabeth cared more about having an audience than she'd thought? Or didn't she care about dresses and accessories unless forced by an audience? She had good hopes it was the latter, since she didn't miss the attention, at all.
'I love what you have done with Miss Anne's hair, Dora,' Georgiana observed, 'those little curls are so sweet and at the same time a bit cheeky, doing as they please. They are such a good match with the material of her skirts.'
'Thank you, ma'am,' the maid said demurely, poor Georgiana, to be a ma'am at seventeen! But she was very happy with Eric, and their playing wasn't suffering at all from a lack of concerts and public appearances. Eric did miss his music-loving friends, though he could write letters of course, Elizabeth supposed they'd eventually want to live in town, they were missing out on a lot of lessons as well. And of course her brother and sister were not really outdoors people, they joined the others for rambles and had both ridden a horse several times but they were not naturals, Elizabeth had felt Georgiana's fear of not being in control of the horse and Fitzwilliam had said it was much
the same for Eric. They were so disciplined in their playing, Elizabeth supposed being in control was very important to them, and riding such a tall strong creature could be intimidating, especially before one gained the skills to direct it.
'Fanny taught me how to make those curls, ma'am, I'm certain they would look just as beautiful on your blonde hair.'
Georgiana's hair was as long and as blonde as Anne's, but much thicker, and it had a natural wave. Elizabeth wondered whether those artificial curls wouldn't make her look like a mop. Apparently, Georgiana was thinking much the same, for she replied kindly, 'You know, Dora, Fanny did try them on me one time, to see what they would look like. But somehow I didn't like the effect on me, I felt like a sheep, those curls weren't sleek and drooping on me, but... well, I cannot think of another term, they were sheep-like. A blonde chimney brush.'
'Ma'am!' Dora exclaimed, shocked, 'you are so beautiful, you could never look anything like a …, you could never anything other than beautiful.'
Poor Dora couldn't even say it, though Georgiana had compared herself to a sheep. Elizabeth's sister-in-law laughed and remarked, 'Next time it rains and we're stuck inside, you may try it yourself. You'll see. Baaaaahhh.'
Still a seventeen year old, no question about that. But Dora was much the same age, and Elizabeth didn't doubt they'd do it, next time it rained and they were both bored.
Before Dora was altogether finished applying the last blush and arranging the last curl, there was a knock and the gentlemen came in. Actually, just one gen
tleman came in with his two servants, but those were dressed to such perfection that no-one who didn't know them would have noticed the difference.
Dora betrayed her affection for Nick by gaping at him. Elizabeth felt sorry for her, she was so young, she couldn't help falling in love with a strong man who treated everybody right. He was not above her, though Elizabeth was convinced he would not have made anyone else but Anne a good partner. If he hadn't fallen for her superiority, he would probably have stayed single forever, breaking hearts left and right, mostly among the ladies, but probably some of his colleagues as well. Nick looked so much like Frederick that they could have been brothers, Frederick the elder and more dominant one, though Nick looked perfectly comfortable and self-assured in his finery. The only thing that might possibly betray his low breeding were his shoes, they were
too sturdy for a gentleman. But frankly, that hardly showed at all.
Seeing Dora's expression and guessing who was standing behind her, Anne turned around, and Elizabeth really couldn't discern even the slightest hint of admiration for Nick in her perfect features. She admired the newcomers, but she admired all of them, and looked at the one she was going to marry most of all.
'Have you come to take me to church, gentlemen?' she asked in a low, kind voice.
Frederick bowed and replied, 'We have, Miss de Bourgh. You already were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, but today you have eclipsed all my expectations. I did not know that a mere mortal could approach an angel in beauty and goodness of her heart.'
'Frederick ,you flatterer!' she now said in her usual playful tone, and then she did look straight at Nick.
'Mr Fowler, Mr Eliot will think that Mr Manners has his younger brother over for this special occasion. You look like a veritable gentleman. And Mr Close, if anyone can give an angel competition in sheer beauty it's you. I do wonder about your disposition, though, I suspect yours is no more angelic than mine.
I am so proud to be allowed to ride in a carriage with three such handsome and perfectly groomed men.'
Dora was a trooper, despite her admiration for Nick she had not stopped working, and now her mistress was ready to leave and got up from her chair, showing the magnificent shimmering riding skirt and the lovely muslin blouse. Although neither were at all suitable for riding in, Elizabeth couldn't help picturing Anne on her grey horse wearing those frilly, clingy garments.
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