“’Tis fine,” Evina repeated, forcing another smile. “Tildy did such wonders with me hair, no one will even notice me gown.”
“Hmm.” Jo moved up to stand beside her and glanced from Evina to herself and then asked the others, “She is about my size, is she no’?”
“Aye, she is,” Murine said, a smile beginning to curve her lips. “Pray, tell us ye have something she might wear for the wedding.”
“I believe I do,” Jo said with a nod, and headed for the door. “I shall be right back.”
“Whatever she brings back’ll be wondrous,” Murine promised with a grin as the door closed behind Jo.
“Whether it is or no’, ’tis kind o’ her to trouble herself so,” Evina said quietly. “She seems a very nice woman. ’Tis hard to believe she’s English.”
“Only half-English,” Saidh corrected her firmly. “Her father was a Scot. Most like that’s why she ended up kind and good. By all accounts her mother was a right English bitch.”
“Saidh!” Jetta said with dismay. “Ye might hurt Jo’s feelings did she hear ye say that.”
“But she did no’ hear, did she?” Saidh said with a shrug, and then added, “Besides, she’d tell ye that herself. She’s no love for her birth mother. Ne’er even kenned her and was as horrified as everyone else to hear how the woman had tried to kill her own sister, Lady Mackay.”
“Wait,” Evina said with a frown. “Jo’s mother tried to kill her own sister?”
“Aye,” Edith said, but glanced toward the door when it opened again and fell silent as Jo entered with a royal blue gown across her arms.
“I’ll tell ye the story another time,” Saidh murmured as they watched the other woman approach, and then added, “If she does no’ tell ye herself.”
Evina merely nodded and greedily eyed the gown Jo was holding. It was beautiful. Much nicer than the gown she presently wore. Eyeing the bits of detailing she could see, she began to pray it would fit.
“Well, let’s get this gown off ye so ye can try that one,” Tildy said, all business. The other women immediately gathered around to help and, within moments, Evina’s prayers were answered and she was wearing the blue gown. It fit like a glove. She peered down at herself as the women stepped back and could have wept. Evina had no idea how it looked on her, but it was stunning to look down at, and she felt pretty in it.
“It’s perfect,” Murine whispered.
Evina glanced up hopefully at the words and saw admiration on the expressions of the other women.
“Aye. ’Tis perfect on you,” Jo said solemnly. “It is new. I’ve ne’er worn it and now I ne’er could. ‘Twould ne’er look that good on me. I think ye must keep it.”
“Oh!” Evina’s eyes widened with shock. “Nay. I could no’ keep it.”
“Aye, ye can,” Jo assured her. “Consider it a wedding gift.”
Evina opened her mouth, and then closed it again and, embarrassed to feel her eyes glaze with tears at the kindness, peered down at the beautiful gown again. “Thank ye,” she managed after a moment, and stiffened slightly when Jo suddenly stepped forward to embrace her.
“’Tis my pleasure,” Jo assured her, hugging her tightly. “And ye look ravishing in it.”
After a hesitation, Evina slid her own arms cautiously about the woman and hugged her back. But she felt strange doing it. No one but Conran had hugged her since her mother’s death, and this was different than the hugs Conran had given her so far. His hugs had been during or after fornicating, and to comfort her after she’d nearly been drowned. This was a hug of pure affection. She was unused to the feelings it brought welling up within her, but suspected she’d best get used to it when the other women all crowded around to hug the pair of them.
“Oh!” Murine gasped suddenly, pulling back from the group hug. “We’ll wrinkle her gown!”
Evina suddenly found herself released as the women all backed away to examine her and be sure they hadn’t done the gown damage.
“’Tis fine,” Edith said with relief, and then smiled wryly. “But I’d best go clean up and prepare meself fer the wedding too. Me gown is dusty from the journey and I’ll look the poor cousin next to Evina do I no’ change.”
“Ye can change in the chamber Dougall and I are using while here,” Murine offered.
“Wait,” Evina protested. “She is to stay in me chamber anyway. I’ll leave and let her change here.”
“Ye can’t,” Saidh said at once. “Conran might see ye. Ye have to wait here until he is at the chapel steps and then yer father will come fetch ye to take ye to the steps to meet him before the priest.”
“Oh,” Evina said nonplussed. She’d had no idea there were rules about this kind of thing.
“’Tis fine,” Edith assured her with a smile. “I’ll use Murine and Dougall’s room. Me chests are out in the hall still at the moment anyway.”
“We should all get moving,” Jetta said now. “We’re all supposed to be waiting at the chapel when she comes, and I need to change as well. I got a might sweaty and dusty working on the tent.”
“So did I,” Saidh admitted, brushing at the dust on her skirts with irritation. “I guess I’d best change too.”
Murmuring agreement, the other women all began to move. They left the room in almost the same cluster as they’d entered, taking all the noise and laughter with them. Evina stood in the center of the room and watched them go, feeling a little lost and alone.
Rustling drew her attention to Tildy then, and she turned to see that she was dragging the furs off the bed. Taking a steadying breath, she forced a smile and said, “There’s no need to do that now, Tildy.”
“Aye. There is,” she responded at once, and pointed out, “I have to prepare the room fer Laird and Lady Drummond to use this night.”
“Oh, aye,” Evina murmured, and moved to the bed to help when the maid started to strip linens from the bed.
“Ger off with ye,” Tildy said at once. “Ye’ll wrinkle yer gown or muss yer hair. Just go settle yerself at the table and wait.”
Evina frowned, but did as she was told and moved to sit cautiously at the table by the fire. But she felt less than useless just sitting there watching the maid work.
“They’re a nice lot o’ women,” Tildy commented solemnly, carrying the dirty linens to the door and dropping them in a heap next to it.
“Aye,” Evina agreed as she watched her collect clean linens from one of the chests and start to remake the bed.
“And they’ve already accepted ye as one o’ their own,” Tildy added as she worked. “‘Twill be nice fer ye to have female family again.”
Evina’s eyes widened slightly at the comment and then she frowned as she tried to sort out the tone in Tildy’s voice. It wasn’t resentful, so much as regretful, which she didn’t understand. The old woman was obviously upset somehow, but since she didn’t know why or what about, she wasn’t sure how to comfort her. Evina stood, and moved toward the bed, trying to get a better look at the woman’s face, but suspected Tildy was deliberately keeping it turned away from her. In the end, she simply went with her last words and said, “Ye’re female and family, Tildy.”