Time Warper: Fated, A Sage Hannigan Novel
Page 16
Chapter Fifteen
THE DAY FLEW BY QUICKLY AFTER THAT. I met with the three people who would staff my small townhouse, all of whom were trustworthy in the eyes of Cerberus. The cook, Mrs. Weston, was a short, round woman with beady little brown eyes that I swear could see my deepest, darkest secrets inside. She freaked me out a bit, and I wouldn’t have been surprised at all to learn that the woman was proficient in throwing hexes on unsuspecting mortals.
Zachary was to be my butler, but he was also acting as my driver and night security. He was a tall, thin man; and despite his impeccable clothing and softly spoken words, he scared the bejesus out of me. I could definitely see him playing the role of an assassin in some thriller movie. Luckily, the young woman who was to be my lady’s maid, a pretty girl named Marie, was quite normal. Right then, the normal, dark-haired lady’s maid had her lovely green eyes roaming slowly over Dr. Aldwin Blake’s sexy body.
Great—three for three.
After making sure everyone was getting settled in, I hurried up the stairs to indulge in a bath before I had to get ready for my big night. Bubble baths were a luxury I would never again take for granted. I let out a groan of pleasure as I sank into the warm water that filled the old-fashioned claw-foot tub. I lathered up my hair and body with a silky, lemongrass-scented soap as I thought about the upcoming evening. It should be pretty uneventful—just talking, mingling, and dancing. I winced. I would rather be fighting vampires or doing… well, just about anything else. Talking and mingling weren’t really my thing. Dancing I could handle… but small talk? Bleck! I soaked until the water cooled and my fingers raisined up, then wrapped a towel around myself and decided to try on my new, fancy underwear.
Once I donned the new garments, I stood in front of my full-length mirror, barely able to recognize myself. The cream-colored corset fit me like a second skin and accentuated my trim waist and modestly sized chest. I slid the small dagger into the sheath attached to my specially made garter and couldn’t suppress the shiver of excitement that zinged through me.
I gave a couple of lunges and kicks to make sure the garter wouldn’t slip and to see how well I could move in my new-and-improved corset. Actually, I just wanted to show off in front of the mirror. I grinned at my reflection, dressed head to toe in cream and lace. I looked like a hot lingerie model… if you could ignore the wicked-looking dagger strapped to my right thigh and the cocky smirk plastered on my face.
Marie came in and lifted the dress I had chosen for the night over my head, letting the silky fabric slide down my lace-clad body and buttoning up the back when everything was in place. I glanced back at the mirror after I was dressed to see the full effect of my ensemble. The dress was a deep lavender-colored silk that flowed gracefully down to my ankles, it gathered at the waist and fell open in the front to reveal a silver underskirt. The bodice had a sweetheart neckline, and hundreds of tiny, deep-plum-colored beads had been sewn into it. The same beading adorned the sleeves and formed an intricate pattern on the bottom of the silver underskirt. The dress was gorgeous, and I felt beautiful wearing it.
I slipped on a pair of cream-colored, suede shoes with a two-inch heel, and then slid my beloved sgian-dubh into the hidden slot of my right shoe. I turned left and right to see if anyone would be able to tell I was wearing two weapons, and much to my delight, they seemed invisible. Marie also fixed my unruly hair into a pretty updo for the evening, and I had to admit, once we were done, I did indeed look like a woman on a mission to find a husband. The purples in my gown looked lovely with both my complexion and my deep auburn hair.
I slid the clockwork butterfly cuff onto my wrist, grabbed the wrap that matched my gown, and headed downstairs. Pushing the churning in my stomach to the back of my mind, I focused on the task at hand—be a lady, play the part, and for God’s sake don’t make a fool of myself.