Seventeen
“Ye must tempt him so greatly that he kinnae deny ye,” Mari said late that afternoon, yanking on the gown she’d just helped Patience don. It was one that Ivan had given her after he’d ripped another gown from her body. He had thought to make up for his cruelty with the gift from his trip to Paris, but his sort of cruelty could not be forgotten with a gift, however lavish. Patience had never even truly looked at it. She’d only remembered it when Jane had said something about it earlier, after Patience had told the women in the kitchens of her futile efforts to soften Brodee. Jane had seen the gown in Patience’s wardrobe and suggested she wear it.
Mari, Jane, and Ada smiled at each other as they looked at Patience and nodded. “This gown will surely do the trick,” Jane said. “It shows my lady’s assets quite boldly.”
“Aye, she must be bold,” Ada said. “She’s doing battle with the laird. He dunnae wish to succumb to soft emotions, but of course, he must.”
“Men rarely wish to succumb to soft emotions at first,” Mari said with a cluck of her tongue. “They must be shown why it’s necessary.”
This was all very fascinating to Patience. She’d never experienced being part of a group of women’s frank talk, and she was glad she now had them as friends.
“Dunnae forget,” Ada added, “pay special attention to what other men say tonight.”
“Aye,” Mari agreed. “In fact, ignore the laird a bit. It will vex him, but it will also make him want ye more.”
She didn’t like the idea of playing games with Brodee, and she didn’t think she would, but she didn’t want to hurt the women’s feelings by telling them that she would not heed all of their advice. It was one thing to try to catch his eyes by looking her best; it was quite another to court the attention of another man.
“Ye’re stunning,” Mari said with a grin and handed Patience a looking glass. Patience held it up to her, and then slanted it downward and her mouth dropped open. Immediately, she shifted the looking glass to one hand and tugged on the gown, which displayed entirely too much of her chest.
“I kinnae wear this gown like this,” she said, her face heating. It was just like Ivan to have brought her such an improper thing.
Mari pushed Patience’s hand away and tugged her gown down once more. “Ye most certainly can,” she said.
“’Tis indecent!” Patience protested.
The three women surrounding her snorted. “Aye, ’tis, but our own queen was seen wearing a similar gown sent to her from Paris, so if the queen can wear it, ye can, too,” Mari argued.
Just then, a knock came at her bedchamber door.
“Who is it?” she asked, as the three women with her giggled.
“If it’s the laird,” Jane whispered, “he’ll likely wish us to leave yer bedchamber immediately.”
A chorus of laughter broke out, and Patience waved the women to hush as she went to the door. She could not hear the reply because of the women. She cracked the door open to find Kinsey standing there holding a mead bucket.
“Come in,” Patience offered, taking the bucket with a frown. “I looked for ye to see if ye wanted to come in here with us.”
Kinsey nodded. “Eleanor told me when I went to the kitchens just now. I was serving some of the men who have been training all day. I thought some of ye might want some mead?”
Everyone shook their head and Kinsey set the bucket down then turned back to Patience, her eyes widening. “What are ye wearing?”
“I—Well, Jane, Ada, and Mari thought this gown might help me keep my husband’s attention.”
“Are ye already having trouble keeping his eye firmly on ye?” Kinsey teased.
Patience quickly told her about how Brodee never wanted to feel the way he once had ever again.
Kinsey looked thoughtful. “I would nae ever have suspected that a man such as he could have been so devoted to a woman. ’Tis romantic that he loved her so much that he dunnae believe he can repeat it. She must have been verra beautiful. I did hear the men say she was. Fair haired and blue eyed, I think they said, with skin like freshly fallen snow.”
It was everything Patience was not, and her gut clenched. She had scars, inside and out. Perhaps she was a fool to think she could capture Brodee’s heart. Mayhap she should just be satisfied with the kindness, tenderness, and protectiveness he showed her. She tugged the gown off her shoulders. “This was a foolish idea.” Even as the other three women other than Kinsey protested, Patience yanked the ruby gown off her body and picked up her discarded pale-green gown.
“Ye’re nae going to wear it?” Mari asked.
“Nay. I’m nae so much in the mood anymore to try to compete with a ghost.”
“I, for one, think that’s wise,” Kinsey said. “Do ye mind if I wear the gown?”
Patience frowned. It wasn’t that she minded, she didn’t, but… “Why do ye wish to wear it?”
