Chapter 3 #3
Lizzie had never seen such a display of emotion from the woman and found tears rising in her own eyes, which she quickly swiped away before they could spill.
She never cried. In fact, it had always been incredibly difficult for her to work up a tear for performances.
No matter how deeply she delved into a character’s motivation, she couldn’t seem to tap that well.
Once she’d complained about it over lunch with her non-actress friend Andie and Andie had instantly teared up, much to Lizzie’s disgruntlement.
“Just think about Charlotte’s Web,” she’d said. “No one was with her when she died, remember?” Her face wrinkled with emotion and she waved her fingers, Miss America style, in front of her watering eyes.
Of course, if Lizzie had ever tried it she would have invariably been dinged by a reviewer, who would have seen right through the ruse. But now, the emotion was very real. She knew what it was like to miss people. For the first time, Lizzie kind of liked Lady Amberly. Damn it.
Tea and cakes were ordered and Catriona’s bags were sent up to her room. After some more patting and clucking, Lady Amberly gasped and looked around her.
“But where is your brother? Did he not make the journey with you after all?” Her voice held a distinct note of hopefulness.
“No, ma’am, he’s gone to find himself a room before it got too late. He’ll be along to meet ye tomorrow.” She swallowed nervously and looked from one to the other. A little lamb among wolves, Lizzie thought.
“Why don’t I show Miss Catriona to her room and help her get settled in before supper?” Lizzie offered, seeing how overwhelmed she was at the onslaught of attention from her brand new aunt.
Up in her room, Catriona visibly relaxed. “I didna know I would cause my aunt to cry,” she said shyly. “Did ye know my mother as well?”
Lizzie helped her take things from the valise and began assessing her wardrobe. It was clear right away they’d need to shop. “No, I’ve only just met your aunt recently.” She turned around to see the girl looking her over with a scrutinizing air, but dropped her eyes at once at being caught.
“I’m verra sorry, miss, but ye dinna look at all like how I imagined ye would.”
Lizzie stifled a laugh. “And how was that? Quite like a dragon?”
Catriona’s face turned bright red. “Not a dragon exactly, but ye’re nothing like how I thought a spinster would look either. Ye’re verra pretty and not verra old at all.”
Lizzie tried not to roll her eyes. At twenty-six, in this day and age she was well on the shelf.
When she’d first made her foray into eighteenth century social life, she’d had a few offers, both rude and sincere, but couldn’t let go of the hope she’d be able to go home and couldn’t bear the thought of shackling herself to a man just for security.
“Thank you,” she said simply, accepting the awkward compliment for what it was.
Catriona meant no harm or insult. She was, in fact, a spinster. She tamped down the rage she sometimes still got being trapped here, forced into the standards of this time.
“Ye’re far prettier than I could ever hope to be, even all done up,” Catriona continued, giving herself a sad glance in the mirror.
Now the laugh couldn’t help but come out.
“Well, I do not have a fortune to go with my face,” she said, smoothing Catriona’s hair.
It was soft and probably wouldn’t hold a curl, but up close it had lots of pretty natural highlights.
All of a sudden she felt a protectiveness, looking at her charge’s sad eyes in the mirror.
“You’re very lovely, dear. You have wonderful skin, and your eyes sparkle, which is a sign of great intelligence. ”
“I hope at least someone is interested in me,” she said morosely. “It seems verra important that I marry.”
“Don’t you want to be settled?” Lizzie asked, returning to wardrobe assessment.
It was bad, really bad. She made a mental note to send a message to the dressmaker that very evening, to be ready for them first thing in the morning.
She already had a list of parties lined up and didn’t want to miss any of them.
“With your fortune, you’ll have your pick, don’t you worry about that. ”
“It doesna seem savory, getting a husband like that,” she said. “I thought it would be different.”
Lizzie snorted. Didn’t they all? “Don’t fret about it. It only means you’ll be able to find someone you actually like, is all. What kind of gentleman do you fancy?”
Catriona giggled, her eyes shining. For a moment her plain face was transformed into being truly pretty. “I dinna know any gentleman, so I’m not sure. But, I’d like someone handsome and kind. Thankfully he won’t need to be rich, since I guess I have enough for both of us.”
Lizzie shook her head vehemently. “Stop that thinking right there. You can never be too rich. But I’m afraid you might have to choose between handsome and kind,” she teased. “To have both would greatly narrow your choices. It might even be unheard of.”
“Well, my brother is handsome,” she said. “And I’m mad at him now so it clouds my judgment, but usually he’s kind.”
“Oh, Catriona, that’s funny,” Lizzie said with a laugh at her candor. Such a sweet sense of humor and disarming honesty like hers were going to get her eaten alive. “Now, you mustn’t take any offense at anything I say to you. It’s all for your own good.”
Catriona slumped onto the edge of her bed. “I expect I shall be found lacking,” she sighed.
Lizzie looked up abruptly from the unpacking.
The poor girl looked frightened out of her wits, when she should have been eager and excited.
She probably wished she was back on her farm.
As much as Lizzie dreaded having to spend time with the brother, it would most likely be for the best to have him around. A sense of familiarity and comfort.
“There’s nothing lacking about you, Catriona,” she said fiercely, thinking of all the agents and casting directors who’d ever made her feel inadequate. She held up a brown dress and grinned at her then. “But your clothes could use some help. Would you like to visit the dressmaker tomorrow?”
Once again the young girl’s face was transformed by her radiant smile. “I would,” she said, clasping her hands in front of her.
Lizzie suppressed the twinge she felt in her heart region, unsure why this particular young lady was making her feel all soppy and protective.
Probably because she wasn’t a terrible, monstrous spoiled brat.
The last girl she’d attended about town looking for a husband had pinched her incessantly and pretended to cry over every tiny thing that didn’t go her way.
She didn’t know who she felt more sorry for, that little harridan or the money grubbing lecher she’d ended up engaged to.
“We shall go first thing. In fact I’m going to send a messenger to Lady Amberly’s dressmaker this evening so she’ll be ready for us. I think rose would look lovely with your coloring, maybe some cream and pale lavender as well.”
Catriona’s eyes shone with fashion lust, just her kind of girl. Perhaps these next few months wouldn’t be so horrible, the brother notwithstanding. They’d make him stand outside the shops for hours holding their purchases. He’d be running back to Scotland soon enough.
“My brother promised to let me buy a new bonnet every time he swears,” Catriona leaned close to confide. “And he swears a lot.”
Lizzie closed her eyes. Of course he did.