Cecilia lowered her head and stared at her fingers. “You won’t have to put up with her any longer. By tomorrow, you will be married. You will be a duchess.”
“Oh! I nearly forgot to give you this.” Lucy said hastily.
She stood and crossed to the wardrobe, carefully opening one of the larger compartments. From within, she pulled out a long bundle swathed in fine muslin and tied with a satin ribbon. Turning around, she held it out to Cecilia with both hands. The smile on her face, showing the dress to Cecilia was so bright, it made Cecilia uneasy.
“What is it?” Cecila asked.
“Your dress!” she beamed. “I had something made for you. A dress. I want you to wear it on my wedding day. I saw the fabric and thought of you instantly. It’s simple, yet elegant. Exactly right, and it would match your beautiful blue eyes.”
Cecilia scratched her nape and slowly rose to her feet. “You bought me a dress? For your wedding?”
“Well, yes!” Lucy said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“Lucy, I already brought a dress with me.”
“No, you must wear this!” Lucy insisted. “It wouldn’t feel right to walk down the aisle without my dearest cousin looking like the marvel she is. Please say you’ll wear it?”
Cecilia walked over to where Lucy stood, assessing the dress. “Well, if you insist, then of course I’ll wear it,” Cecilia said softly. She took the parcel from Lucy and ran her hand lightly over the material beneath. “Thank you, truly.”
“You’re most welcome. Can you try it on now?” Lucy asked, already tugging at the muslin wrap. “I want to see how it fits.”
“Now?” Cecilia’s eyes widened.
“We still have a little time before we’re needed downstairs again.”
Cecilia opened her mouth to protest, given that there would be other moments to try it on, surely, but Lucy was already moving too fast. Not only was it odd that she had bought her a dress for the wedding, but it was also peculiar that she wanted her to try it on now, when they had already been summoned downstairs.
“Lucy–” Cecilia made to say.
“It’ll be quick. Just try it on. Don’t worry. Quickly.”
Cecilia sighed, casting Lucy a look that said she clearly didn’t believe any part of that reassurance. But she stepped behind thefolding screen all the same, hands moving to the back of her gown.
“I’ll help,” Lucy said, already placing the new dress carefully on a nearby armchair. “There is no way you can possibly take off your gown without my help.”
She followed Cecilia behind the screen, and without a word, began working the buttons loose. Once the endless line of buttons that trailed down her back had been halfway undone, Lucy let out a small huff.
“Whoever thought twenty-four tiny pearl buttons were a good idea clearly never had to undress in a hurry,” she muttered, finally undoing the last of them. The bodice slackened, and with a bit of a wiggle, Cecilia stepped out of the dress, causing the purple silk to rustle softly as it pooled at her feet.
“Here, I’ll hold this one, while you try on the new one,” Lucy said, hastily picking up Cecilia’s dress from the ground and hugging it tightly to her chest as she rushed over to bring the blue gown.
“I’ll leave you to try this one,” Lucy said, handing over the dress. She didn’t wait for a reply before moving across the room and settling on the edge of the bed, the gown draped over her lap.
Behind the screen, Cecilia let out a breath, barely audible above the gentle rustle of fabric. She was already exhausted, and the evening had barely begun. The new gown, an exquisite shade of deep cornflower blue, caught the light with the faintestsheen, the kind only the finest silks managed. Its bodice was adorned with intricate silver embroidery, delicate vines and tiny blossoms. A row of mother-of-pearl buttons glinted along the back, and the skirt fell in graceful folds, light yet structured, with a soft lace trimming at the hem.
She ran her hand over the fabric before stepping into it, the silk cool against her skin. “Lucy, if we are to get this done quickly, I will need your help,” she called out.
Slowly, she eased it up over her shoulders, adjusting the sleeves, and began the familiar yet always mildly frustrating process of fastening what she could from the front.
“Lucy?” she called out again after her former request was met by silence. “What are you doing over there?”
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Lucy said from the bed, springing up and setting Cecilia’s dress aside. She crossed the room in a few swift steps and disappeared behind the screen once more, her fingers already moving to fasten the buttons.
Cecilia held still, her back straight as she felt Lucy’s hands working down the length of her spine. The fabric settled around her like water, weightless and soft, clinging in just the right places.
“I cannot believe you think my trying on a dress for your wedding is more important than our presence downstairs,” Cecilia remarked.
“Leave me be, Cecilia,” Lucy said, her voice trembling even as she tried to steady it. “Tomorrow, I am to be wed to the coldest man I have ever met. I don’t know what sort of life that promises me. I don’t know what kind of wife I’ll be to someone who seems to see right through me.”
