The Duke's Wife {Wallflower #1}

Chapter 22

Hey guys, sorry for the wait! I finished this chapter nearly 2 hours ago, but my Internet wasn't working so I had to transfer the chapter to my phone and it was a freaking long process! Anyway, there is a special part in here that I hope you all will be pleasantly surprised at, don't forget to comment and I'm terribly sorry it wasn't too long!! Enjoy!!!

P.S.: On the side is a pic of what Rhea's dress sort of looks like

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Chapter 22

"Love is like water; we can fall in it. We can drown in it. And we can't live without it."

- Author Unknown

*Rhea*

Rhea was quite excited, she and Hadrian would be attending Lady Gareth's ball this evening come. This was the first outing they would be attending since Rhea's accident; Hadrian was finally allowing her some space even though he was still concerned about Rhea's well-being, he agreed to restrain himself immensely tonight.

Rhea stood in front of the long looking glass and quietly regarded the beautiful gown laid in front of her. She was quite taken with its regal beauty and immediately thought of Hadrian and how he would view the gown. She blushed at her wayward thoughts but eagerly looked forward to his reaction.

"Oh, my lady," Lily gasped softly, catching sight of the beautiful dress. Rhea glanced at her maid and grinned softly.

"'Tis beautiful, is it not?" Rhea responded ecstatically. She could not wait a moment more to put it on. Lily nodded vigorously. "Quick, we must hurry. I do not wish for Hadrian to stumble upon us, help me don the dress on."

Rhea and Lily had already conquered her curls and formed it into a loose chignon with wisps of her natural curls falling to the side. Lily had applied some of the colored paint to her lips, bringing out the soft color. Now, they made haste of dressing her. After layering Rhea with her undergarments, Lily swiftly tightened the strings of the ball gown. When she had finally finished dressing her, Lily stepped back and allowed her mistress to gaze at herself.

Rhea was pleasantly astonished at the magnificence the dress presented her. The gold and beige dress complemented her fair skin. The gown was bulky and spread out softly all around her. The straps of the dress fell loosely on her shoulders, showing an incredible amount of skin.

The bust of the dress showed enough to tease, only glimpsing soft, smooth skin. The gold intricate designs flowed in a perfect pattern for the top half of her dress. Following the bottom half, the top layer of the gown was entirely gold and was divided into two parts, the ends of the dress curled into small flowers. The middle of the gown showed the discreet color of beige, bunched slightly and enticing to the eye. Her gown emphasized her shy beauty and made Rhea blush at how unique she looked.

"Oh, mum, His Grace is going to fall to his knees at the mere sight of you. He shall not stand a chance!" Lily proclaimed. Rhea met Lily's eyes in the glass and smiled.

"I hope so," Rhea murmured, lovingly stroking her gown. Lily grinned at her mistress figure. Then, as if she had been attacked she cried out. Rhea jumped, startled by her outburst and assessed her maid. "Is everything all right, Lily?" she demanded.

"Oh, mum, I almost forgot, please forgive me of my lapse. His Grace sent you a gift and asked that you wear it tonight at the ball." Lily went to grab the lone box by the door and traveled toward Rhea.

She retrieved a long pearl necklace from the box and circled Rhea, she gently clasped the necklace ends together and clipped the long pearl earrings to her ears. Rhea's eyes widened as the entire ensemble became completed. Tears sprung in her eyes at the thoughtful gesture from her husband.