“It will show off her neck, and she has a lovely neck.”
“Very true.” Ida nodded in agreement. “We should probably hold it up simply, because Branford is just going to want it down when he gets her back to their rooms. I know my brother’s preferences, and he likes hair long and flowing. He’ll want to be able to take it back down again without a lot of fuss.”
“What about those combs Queen Sunniva gave you for your birthday?” Ramona suggested. “Would they work with the dress?”
“Anything would work with the dress I have picked out,” Ida said with a laugh. “No one will even notice what’s in her hair—they will be too focused on the dress!”
For as long as they discussed me, I wondered if I even needed to be in the room. I did end up with my hair affixed to the top of my head, twisted and coiled around in the back before it was held in place by a luxurious set of combs.
“Perfect,” Ida finally said after fussing with a few loose strands for what seemed like an hour. “I have to go check on your dress. Sunniva is hemming it for you. I’ll send a couple of the girls up to your rooms soon to help you dress, all right?”
“Of course,” I said with a nod.
“I’ll try to be there as well, just to make sure everything is as perfect as your hair.” Branford’s sister gave me a big smile. “I have a thousand things to do though, and Branford won’t let anyone else help him dress. I can’t wait for you to come into the hall. You are going to look so elegant and so noble, no one is ever going to question you.”
I tried to smile and believe her words, but I had some difficulty. Most of the nobles had already formed a first impression of me, and I doubted anything Ida could do at this point would change that too drastically.
“At the very least, Sir Branford is going to have a hard time keeping his hands to himself before the dancing,” Ramona said with a giggle.
I knew I was blushing but kept my gaze to the ground. It would be several hours before the reception, and I was already concerned about how well my hair would stay in place and if the dress would truly be to Branford’s liking.
“I have to get downstairs,” Ida said. “The dinner is complicated, and I want to make sure it’s
right before they get too far along. Alexandra, go on to your rooms. I’ll get your dress sent there as soon as it’s ready.”
“Yes, Ida,” I responded and headed back to the rooms I shared with Branford. I walked carefully to keep from disturbing my hair. Along the way, I worried over the mechanics of getting a dress over my head without messing up all of Ida and Ramona’s hard work.
Our rooms were empty, and I wondered if Branford had also spent his day with someone primping and preening him, but I doubted it. Ida said he didn’t let anyone but her help him. I wished there was something useful I could do to pass the time, but everything I considered seemed too great a risk to my hair. I couldn’t even bring myself to add another log to the fire for concern it would dirty my hands, which would then need to be washed. If I washed my hands, they would end up wet. If my hands were wet and I accidentally reached up and touched my hair, it would be ruined.
I had never had the occasion to concern myself over such things before. The actual wedding probably should have been the first time, but everything had happened far too quickly for me to think about it much. The remainder of my afternoon was spent taking slow, deep breaths to keep myself from crying alternating with all the various ways I might embarrass myself or Branford during dinner. In retrospect, I should have done the hemming of the dress myself if just to give me something to occupy my mind.
There was a knock at the door, which surprised me. I wondered if Branford had spoken with Ida again about coming in without knocking first, but I somehow didn’t think she would listen to him. I opened the door slowly and was taken aback by who stood on the other side.
It was the beautiful golden blonde from the garden along with the other attractive noblewoman who had stood with her in the throne room the day before.
“Hello, Alexandra,” the golden-blonde said. “I’m Kimberly, and this is Nelle. Princess Ida sent us to help you dress.”
For the first time, I noticed the bundles of creamy-colored fabric with light blue trim held by Nelle, who stood a little behind the taller woman.
“I thought Ida was coming to help,” I said quietly. I didn’t like the idea of this woman in the rooms I shared with Branford. Though Branford assured me their conversation the previous night had not been about me, I was uncomfortable with her presence. I just didn’t want her here.
“Princess Ida was detained. She’s working on some last minute changes to the decorations or the food or something. Regardless, she can’t be here and sent us instead.”
Nelle shuffled from one foot to the next.
“Come in, please,” I said once I realized I had just been standing there, staring at them. They both flitted past me and went straight to the changing area.
“I see Branford has redecorated since I was last here,” Kimberly said as she looked at me out of the corner of her eyes and then glanced back at the bed. “I suppose that was needed.”
Nelle covered her mouth to muffle her laughter as I felt a cold chill run through my body. I wondered how many times Kimberly had been in Branford’s rooms and just what they had done here.
“I have your dress right here,” Kimberly said, distracting me from my thoughts. “I know Sir Branford will just go crazy when he sees you in yours! The fashion is the very latest, and I can’t believe Ida managed to get all of us dresses in this style.”
Taking the fabric from her counterpart, Kimberly held the dress she and Nelle had brought with them up to my shoulders. I couldn’t really get an idea of the exact look of the outfit as she held it to me and rather assumed there were several layers to it since Nelle walked past us and began to hang additional fabric over the changing screen.
“Come along,” Kimberly said as she turned me by my shoulders and guided me to where Nelle stood. “You can help Nelle and me dress, and then we will help you. You don’t mind, do you? I mean—you have a lot of experience with such things, yes?”
Nelle giggled.