The Contract Duchess, a Regency Romance: Key To My Heart Book 1

Chapter 7 - Angie

When Angie blinked her eyes open, Anne was waiting beside the bed with a steaming cup of tea. "Is everything ready, Anne?" she croaked, remembering Derrick's note and her maid's assurance that all would be well.

Anne's cheeks crinkled when she smiled. "It is, miss, and now it is your turn. He will be here in an hour. Would you prefer to change, or just freshen up a bit?"

A groan slipped from Angie's lips unbidden. Her body trembled at the mere thought of the effort required to rise from the bed, let alone the cost of washing her face or removing her dress to don a fresh one. "I would prefer you help me as much as possible while I move as little as possible," she murmured.

Anne's smile did not waver. In a blink, Angie's shoulders and torso were wrapped in a thick dressing gown, and Anne had crossed to the door and beckoned in the two footmen. At her side once more, Anne leaned close and coaxed, "Come, Miss. Before you know it, we will have you coiffed and washed and resting comfortably in the parlor with little work from you. And the quicker we finish, the sooner you see your gentleman."

Before Angie could protest that Derrick was hardly "her" gentleman, the footmen lifted her from the bed and transferred her to the cushioned chair in front of her mirror, their motions as careful and deliberate as though handling the queen's tea service. They departed, admitting a kitchen maid on their way, after a whispered word from Anne, who proceeded to mend Angie's appearance with dizzying speed and the help of her tiny assistant.

In the mirror, Angie watched transfixed as her image transformed from a girl as pale as fresh sheets with bed rumpled hair in a wrinkled day dress into a demure young woman, her hair swept up in a simple yet fashionable style, wearing a fresh grass-green dress embroidered about the hem with black vines that sent tendrils of curling thread stems nearly to the top of the skirt. Anne completed the metamorphosis by lightly pinching Angie's cheeks to lend them a healthy blush. The woman in the mirror now possessed a soft beauty Angie had not associated with herself in a long while, so she waved Anne away when she approached with her mistress's thick protective veil. It seemed a shame to cover her maid's handiwork with a black cloud, and she had already revealed her ravaged countenance to Derrick. For once, she wanted to greet a visitor in the conventional manner, and who better to do so with than her childhood friend?

Despite the toil expended on improving her appearance, Angie felt somewhat refreshed by the time she finished her tea. Perhaps the walk to the parlor might be less of a challenge than she feared. Before the words to discuss it formed on her lips, her maid brushed her hand reassuringly over Angie's shoulder and stepped away to sweep open the door to the hall. To her surprise, her brother Robert strode into the room as the kitchen lass scurried out, his lips curling into a rare smile. The footmen, Edgar and Allan, waited just outside, shoulders nearly touching, their large frames blocking anything beyond them from view.

"Sister, you look better than I expected!" Her brother's hand wrapped her own in firm warmth as he knelt before her, the relief clear in his expression. Her raised eyebrow erased his smile, and he hurried to add, "I meant to say, you look lovely. Derrick would be a fool to reject you, no matter the conditions on his inheritance." His face relaxed when she pressed his hand between hers before he continued. "Seeing as this may be the start of a new life for you, I thought it appropriate to ease the limits of your illness with a gift, something you will be able to use for years to come."

Her brow furrowed; gifts from her brother were few and always practical, but planning one to coincide with an important event was a new occurrence. He grinned at her and rose to his feet before gesturing to the waiting footmen. At his signal, the two men took a pace backward and split apart, revealing a gleaming new armchair, complete with cushions on the back and seat and a frame decorated lavishly with carved blossoms so detailed she half expected to detect a hint of their sweet perfume when she gasped in delight.