A Regency Catastrophy

Chapter 3

I hurry, almost run again, to my room. I know I'm late, Amy will be waiting for me there. Amy is a housemaid, but she has been doubling as my lady's maid since I'm here. It's been a learning curve for both of us. Especially for me of course. Corsets are not my friends. Luckily, we never receive visitors here, well almost never, so there's little pressure to look my best for dinner. But it's proper of course to dress before dinner, even if it's just uncle and me.

"There you are, miss!" Amy accusingly sais as I whirlwind in the room. "I've put your evening gown on the bed there. Can you see if it meets your approval?" 

"Always, Amy. All dresses are perfectly fine to me. I'm sorry I'm late but the weather was so nice and I was walking and before long I arrived in this beautiful little clearing in the forest, oh Amy you should have seen it! So quiet and pretty and I even saw some rabbits and I think a deer quickly ran off before I could get a better look. So before I knew, it was getting dark and I hurried home. I sure hope Mr Humes won't tell uncle I wasn't home before sunset."

"You know he won't, miss, but you should be more careful! There might be gypsies or poachers or other bandits about and..."

"That's exactly what Mr Humes said. He looked quite nervous even, ready to find his gun and come looking for me." I laugh. "But, honestly, why would anyone want to hurt me?"

Amy just looks at me like I'm a bit daft and shakes her head. She quickly starts undressing and dressing me. It takes me until I'm in the dress and looking in the mirror that I notice something. "Wait, is this dress new, Amy?" It's actually quite pretty. It's blue with copper-coloured details on it. 

"Yes, miss. Lord Monfort ordered some new dresses for you a few weeks ago. They just got here in time. It's good to see you out of mourning, miss."

I am glad to see the grey, gloomy dresses go as well. "Oh, well. I should thank him, I suppose. Although I would trade all my dresses to be able to just stay here."

"All your dresses, miss? But what would you wear then?" Amy looks at me with large eyes, but the slight curve of her mouth gives her away.

"Oh, Amy, you know what I mean!" But I can't help smiling myself. "And will you stop saying 'miss'? It's Katy."

"Yes, Miss Montfort." Amy smiles at me with one raised eyebrow.

"Are all servants as contrary as you, Amy?"

"Only when it's concerning matters of propriety."

I roll my eyes. Propriety. My least favourite word in the whole world. Well, after 'corset' perhaps. 

"Didn't you tighten the strings a bit too much, Amy? I feel more restricted than usual."

"Well, since you'll be having guests for dinner, I thought..."

"What!?"

"Didn't your uncle tell you? Because you will be going tomorrow, Mr. Fairbridge and his mother insisted on coming to dinner so the latter gets a chance to meet you."

Oh drat! Double, triple drat! Simon arranged this, I'm sure, so I wouldn't be able to question him for his reasons to send me away and his strange statement 'a husband to guide me'. 

Amy takes a look at my disgruntled face and asks "I thought you quite liked Mr. Fairbridge, miss?"

"I do, but our encounter was rather an embarassing one." 

Amy smiles her little smile. "I recall."

It happened one morning last summer while my governess, Miss. Long, was still here. We had been doing needle-work in the drawing room when I finally convinced her to go outside with me, seeing how I ruined the piece I was working on anyways. Blood stains from my pricked fingers don't improve on a badly sewn flower. She was very determined not to go outside, saying I clearly needed more practice and I shouldn't be so neglectful and idle. That all changed of course when I mentioned we could keep my uncle company outside. He always takes his morning walk around this hour and likes some conversation.