Her Lord's Claim (The Forbidden Saga #4) - Maggie Ryan Page 0,11
her and felt them drawn up over her bottom. She was aware that the housekeeper’s eyes tracked their every move.
“I must say I was very pleased when Lord Huntington summoned me this morning and gave me his instructions on how he expects you to be dressed. I find it very admirable that he wishes to waste no time in requiring his bride-to-be to begin preparing for her new role. You can’t possibly be surprised as you’ve had the advantage of your sister being a role model. Lady Wintercrest doesn’t fuss over something as silly as clothing, now does she?”
The fact that the housekeeper was looking at the garments laid out on the bed allowed Lucy the opportunity to indicate her disagreement, though she was smart enough not to voice a single word. Instead, she did a thorough rolling of her eyes. Granted she’d yet to hear her sister openly complain about her clothing, but she’d seen the look on Louisa’s face the day her secret life had been revealed. She’d confessed that though she’d come into her marriage and was immediately dressed far beneath her age, with the accident that took both their parents from them, bringing Lucy to live at Wintercrest, Louisa had been allowed to dress in the fashions suitable for a young woman. But the day the twins had been caught switching places in order for Louisa to take a test in Lucy’s stead at the school, that privilege had been stripped from her. Once Edward had brought the naughty girls back to the manor and given them each a tremendous birching, Louisa’s proper lifestyle had been revealed to her twin and Louisa had been returned to her childish attire. Lucy saw Mrs. Bremmer turn to look expectantly at her and realized the woman was expecting an answer.
“Oh, um, I suppose not, ma’am.”
“Exactly my point,” Anna said, her face finally morphing from one of disapproval to one slightly less stern. “Lucille, you’d be well advised to mimic your sister’s acceptance of not only the clothing choices her papa has made, but accept the fact that you will have far more changes in your life. Child, you fussed before to no avail and earned yourself a tender bum. You soon grew accustomed to that change, and, young lady, you shall do the same with your new wardrobe.”
Lucy was not thinking of future changes; she was only thinking of how ignorant she had been. She had seen Louisa dressed daily in clothing identical to what Molly was preparing. Lucas had never mentioned fashion, and Lucy understood she had simply assumed he had no care as to what she wore. She felt her embarrassment grow as Molly continued dressing her, item by item. Lucy had reluctantly stepped into a pair of drawers that had layers of lace at the hem. She’d balanced on one leg and then the other as white stockings were drawn up her slender legs and tied with yellow ribbons just above her knees. She slipped her feet into the plain shoes and stood still as two petticoats were tied around her slender waist. She’d shuddered, but obediently lifted her arms when told so that the thin chemise and then the yellow dress could be slipped over her head. Molly turned her around in order to begin buttoning the dozens of small buttons up the back of the dress. Anna shook her head when Lucy continued to sniffle.
“Hush, little one,” Anna said as she stepped forward and forced her young charge to lift her face with a firm finger under Lucy’s chin. Lucy's eyes were still swimming with tears as Anna held a handkerchief to her nose. “Blow and stop that ridiculous whining. I can’t imagine what you thought would happen when you accepted Lord Huntington as your husband. You must have realized you would be required to become his little one and know from seeing your sister what that entails. Now, stop acting like a baby, unless you wish to find yourself in nappies instead of ruffled drawers.”
Lucy’s mouth dropped open at the woman’s words. She’d forgotten the day she’d discovered that her sister had been placed in thick white swaddling and told she’d remain thusly dressed until she obeyed her papa and wet the nappy. The shock of being threatened to experience the same caused her heart to pound.
Anna smiled and continued, “Dry your tears. You can still go over my knee. Both drawers and nappies can be pulled down to bare your bottom, even