CHAPTER ONE #3
There was a firm knock on the door, then it opened to show an older, gray-haired woman on the other side.
The woman gave her a kindly smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
Her simple black dress and white apron hugged a slender figure.
As the woman stepped across the threshold, she folded her hands in front of her.
“I’m Mrs. Curry,” the woman said. “Is there anything you need tonight, Miss? I could make you a sandwich from the leftover pork roast we had at dinner this evening. Or we have some really nice cheese.”
Laurell’s stomach rumbled again. “A sandwich sounds really nice.”
“I’m afraid it will be cold. The ovens in the kitchen have already been banked for the evening.”
“It doesn’t have to be hot.” Truthfully, she’d eat just about anything right then. She knew she needed to keep up her strength for the baby, even if she hadn’t asked for the gift of life that was growing within her.
Mrs. Curry nodded. “I’ll bring it up directly. Breakfast will be served at eight o’clock, when the master gets up in the morning. If you’d like to sleep in a bit longer, I’m sure cook would fix you some eggs and toast when you come down.”
“Eight will be fine. I’ve always been an early riser.”
Mrs. Curry bustled further into the room, moving to the armoire in the corner. She opened the doors and pulled out a beautiful nightgown and laid it across the bed. Laurell noticed a few others hanging inside, along with a wrapper and a few dresses.
“Am I intruding in someone’s room? His wife, perhaps?” she asked.
Mrs. Curry laughed. “Oh goodness, dear. The mayor isn’t married, hasn’t been since he was just a boy. But that’s his story to tell. No one has ever slept in this room before, nor worn these things. He purchased them for his late wife but she died before she had the chance to wear them.”
Laurell fingered the soft material. “Are you sure he won’t mind me using them?”
“It was his idea, dear.” Mrs. Curry smiled brightly. “Now, I’ll go see to that bite of supper for you and be up directly. You make yourself at home. If you need help getting out of your dress, I can send a maid up to you.”
“A maid would be nice. I’m not used to dressing myself.” Laurell hated to even ask for a maid. After everything the mayor had done for her, she didn’t want to be more of a burden.
Mrs. Curry nodded. “I figured as much. You look like a girl what’s been brought up proper.”
“Thank you.” She didn’t feel much like a proper young lady right now, not at least four weeks pregnant.
If anyone found out…she didn’t want to think what would happen to her.
She knew there was no way anyone would ever marry her now, not unless she had the baby in secret and gave it away, but even hating the child’s father as much as she did, Laurell wasn’t certain she could give up a part of herself.
She watched as Mrs. Curry ducked out and closed the door behind her, leaving Laurell to collapse on the edge of the bed, her legs having given out.
It had been the longest day of her life and she was ready for it to be over.
Maybe a good night’s sleep would be enough to revive her, give her a fresh perspective on what had happened to her.
And yet, even sleeping wouldn’t change the fact that she was now owned by the mayor.
Wait. Those papers he signed. They didn’t say he’d purchased Laurell.
They said he’d purchased Rachel. Did that mean she was technically free?
Or did the name really matter? For all she knew, her name wasn’t even on the document he’d signed, or rather Rachel’s wasn’t.
She felt betrayed when she thought of her younger sister.
Rachel had stood by and watched as her father signed her away to Madam Giselle, there had even been a slight smile on her face.
Laurell had always been kind to Rachel, but her younger sister had always been jealous of her.
Laurell didn’t understand why, when it was Rachel the men flocked to at every event.
Rachel of the long, golden curls and China blue eyes.
Laurell was plain and frumpy next to her little sister, and she knew it, accepted it.
Family was supposed to be forever, but apparently when she’d been told that, what they really meant was that family was forever as long as you abided by their rules, did everything they said, and could be a commodity they could sell to the highest bidder once offers started coming in from young gentlemen.
By getting pregnant, Laurell had broken the rules and become useless to her family, until Madam Giselle had come knocking, demanding her payment.
Laurell heaved a sigh as she waited for the maid to come assist her with getting out of her clothes.
There was no point worrying about tomorrow, until she knew more about her situation, and more about the mayor.
From what Mrs. Curry had said, he was a widower and not a bachelor in the strictest sense.
It hadn’t escaped Laurell’s notice that there was a connecting door in her room, but she hadn’t been brave enough to open it yet.
There was little doubt in her mind that it opened into the mayor’s suite of rooms. Why would he put her here if he had no intention of making her his mistress?
A shiver raked her spine as she contemplated her fate. Tomorrow wouldn’t arrive soon enough.