Beauty Unseen: The sisters of Folly trilogy (Book One)

Chapter six: All Spirit and Fire

The quiet sounds of someone bustling around her room slowly pulled Wendy from her deep slumber. A throbbing headache settling into the base of her temples and causing her to clench her jaw against the bright light behind her eyes. Eventually she managed to peel her eyelids open and glance around the room, she was home, that didn't feel right. She felt as if she was forgetting something.

Suddenly it came rushing back to her, her mother pulling the strings of her corset, attempting to go Lord and Lady Baxter's dinner, running into Lord Pennington, the girls rushing her to that room and then what? Wendy's head throbbed more in disagreement of her straining to remember. Images flash through her mind, a garden, the chill air nipping against her skin as she desperately tried to pull the air into her lungs. She had the vaguest memory of a large figure hovering over her. 

She couldn't hold back her groan as she forced herself into a sitting position on her bed, as soon as the room stopped spinning she looked around, the room was quite grand, a large bed set against the furthest wall gave Wendy a view of the stylishly decorated bedroom, a bedroom that wasn't hers. 

"Sarah?" Wendy croaked out and winced at the sound of her voice cracking. Wendy had to try to calm down, where was she? She must still be at the Lord and Lady Baxter's estate. Her mother and father were not going to take kindly to whatever had happened last night Wendy already knew. As Wendy was lost in a panic about her parents possible reactions the door to the room openly softly.

"Oh miss!" Sarah cried out to her as she rushed into the room upon seeing Wendy, the young maid servant had on her basic grey dress she always wore at the estate and a thin traveling cloak "It is all my fault! I should have insisted you take tea before your departure" Sarah fell to her knees and placed her head in Wendy's lap as she cried. Wendy was still ringing with confusion and yet she placed her hand on Sarah's head, gently stroking the hair from her face in a comforting way. 

"Sarah," Wendy tried to clear her throat and Sarah instantly sprung into action, bringing her a cup of water to sip from, Wendy felt the relief of the water clearing away the dryness in her throat "Sarah, where are we?" She finally managed to ask the question at the forefront of her worries.

"You are in my husband's Capital estate," Lady Baxter strode into the room, the door having still been open from Sarah's arrival, her long black hair was styled into a simple updo and she wore a cream colored day dress with blue flowers detailing the hem and capped sleeves  "You fell quite ill last night and my brother managed to find you and seek help before things quickly became worse." Lady Baxter said in a way of explanation and Wendy felt her face ignite in a fierce blush.

"I'm afraid that's not where the story ends, dear Wendy" Lady Baxter continued "Your mother and father happened to come upon you during the time that my brother managed to help you and grossly misread the situation" Wendy could see Sarah wringing her fingers together nervously as Lady Baxter spoke and her heart began to race, "My brother is currently headed to your father's estate to complete a marriage contract between yourself and my brother."

As the words left Lady Baxter's lips and hung in the air Wendy felt her face draw pale and the room suddenly spun again, her fingers gripping at the sheets below her. "Sarah, quickly" She muttered still half in shock but her mind was already racing to fix the whole situation "I must get home, I have not a moment to spare."

Sarah instantly moved to help her dress into a simple dull green day dress that she had brought with her and rushing to do her hair into a braid that hung down her back, curls still escaping and framing her face. 

"My brother is a very good man, Wendy." Lady Baxter laid a comforting hand on her shoulder "He would always do well by you if you let the wedding continue as planned." Something in the way she spoke made Wendy think that she did not want the wedding to stop.

"Please, Lady Baxter" Wendy turned towards the woman, one of the only people in her life who had ever shown her such kindness, and took her hands in hers "I am not the right woman for your brother, I must leave, I must right the wrongs that were born from the events of last night."

Lady Baxter stared for only a moment before she sighed, nodding, and moved to the side as Wendy and Sarah quickly made their way out of the vast estate, walking through the rooms that were so full of life the night before and yet so still now.