Meet Me at Dawn

Chapter Twenty Eight

The next chapter is here! A bit of warning: this scene is more graphic than my previous scenes, it is also the first of its kind that I have written (they tend to make me slightly uncomfortable, but I am far from a prude!). For my mature readers, any constructive suggestions/advice would be appreciated (but please be kind). This chapter is longer than my usual, so I hope you all do enjoy it!

It was the last day of the country party and the night of Lady Mayfield's notorious ball. The very one that watched me fall to ruin so many years ago. Although sad memories filled my mind, I knew that this evening would be different. At least, that was my dearest hope.

Sutherland kept true to his word thus far, and slightly less overbearing the days following our early morning ride. And I vowed myself to be a little less cross about his high-handed nature. Our early morning ride became routine and we continued too watch the dawning of the sun from atop that sloping hill. It was peaceful riding with him so early in the morning and it was the only time that I saw him truly at ease, looking the least bit like the stuffy aristocrat I knew he could be. Still, it was pleasant to find that we could be in each other's confidence without the constant bickering.

When it came time to dress for the evening, I was surprised by a knock at my door. I half suspected Reggie coming to gossip before it all started. However, I was sorely disappointed when my lady's maid answered it.

"Kathryn, you have been behaving recklessly for far too long!" Mama exclaimed, bursting through the door. "I will not have you sully the family name once again." I stood in the middle of my room, speechless, hoping to waken from this sudden nightmare.

"You there, lay out her dresses from the trunk," she directed my lady's maid. My eyes rolled to the back of my head. I was most definitely awakens​, and it was as if I had never been gone. "I will select a suitable gown for you this evening," she paused, testing the fabric of one of the skirts. "Help her bathe, then I will oversee her coiffure."

"Yes, ma'am," replied the maid meekly, scurrying over to me to unbutton the back of my dress.

"I sincerely hope you are of a strong constitution, for we will be in for a long tirade," I whispered to the  girl. She began to giggle; I stopped her with a finger to my lips and a shake of my head.

It would do neither of us any good to turn Mama's attention to things other than toilette and picking a dress for the evening. Mama continued to wander about my room, peeking here and prodding there. It was as if she was searching for something.

I continued to watch her from the corner of my eye as I bathed. The water was warm and soothing, however it was not as relaxing as it should have been. I washed quickly with the lavender soap sitting beside the copper tub, lathering it through my hair and dipping my head below the surface. When I had finished and the water became tepid, I called for the maid and a towel, all the while keeping an eye on Mama.

My lady's maid led me over to the vanity, where I sat and smoothed the different creams over my skin and she began her work on my coiffure. Mama immediately came over to supervise. "Goodness, what have you done to yourself Kathryn?" she exclaimed. "Why would you even think to do this to yourself?" I rolled my eyes for the second time tonight, hoping that my head would not ache by the end of it. I knew to keep my gob shut, if only to shorten the tirade about the length of my hair.

"And to think that Sutherland still shows an interest in you with hair like that, looking like a scraggly young boy. It is bad enough that you lack much of a bosom. We shall have to add padding to your corset," she continued, without consideration for my feelings. It was of no matter, I had learned long ago to take her words with a grain of salt. It did not matter what she thought of me. I knew my worth. All the while, the maid continued to brush the knots from my hair, pulling and twisting, pinning locks here and there. My head was definitely going to ache by the end of the night, and my ears forever ringing with the sound of Mama's voice.