To Love A Lady

Chapter One

"Make women rational creatures, and free citizens, and they will quickly become good wives; that is if men do not neglect the duties of husbands and fathers."
- Mary Wollstonecraft

...

There was nothing that Lady Allison Merriman hated more than early mornings, so when she awoke to the sound of heels clicking the wooden floor, she couldn't help but let out a little sigh. It was the sound that she had heard many times before, her maid, Willa rushing around the room in a flurry. It was more of a pitter-patter then a click, but it was all the same to her before seven.

"I am sorry, milady. Did I wake you?" Willa stopped in her tracks as she noticed that Allie had her eyes open.

"No, no. It's alright," Allie sat up, a little disappointed and tugging at a loose rag that had seemed to have fallen out during the night. "I was not having a good dream anyway." She laughed, trying to lighten her maid's frightful expression. Willa always made that face when she was upset. It did't matter what had happened to her, the shear horror in Willa's eyes had always made Allie feel bad for her.

"Are you sure, milady?" Willa made her way to Allie, helping her take the rag from her hair and placing it atop the vanity on the other side of the room. "I'm sorry, milady. I didn't mean to wake you again-"

Willa had been in the Duke of Silvermont's employ for the past three years and had originally been taken on to serve as maid to Allie and her two sisters, but when Allie had attended her first season, Willa had gone to London with her and never went back to serving the other two girl.

In all the time that she had been there though Allie could not call the maid organized. She tried her best, but Willa Cutter would not remember her head if it was not attached to herself. Most times, Willa would forget to bring a set of Allie's ear bobs to London, that she had asked for, or she would not bring a gown to be laundered, forgetting where she had placed it between Allie's room and the laundry. It was always things like that, never anything worse though.

But whatever Willa lacked in organizational skills, she made up for it in her talent. She had studied in Paris to become a lady's maid, which Allie found quite fascinating because she could also speak French. Willa knew everything when it came to fashion and hair, which as the oldest and eligible daughter of the Duke of Silvermont she needed.

"I had to wake up early anyway. Ruthie is coming home today." Allie replied, playing with the dark, brown ringlet that had fallen and spinning the long strand in between her fingers.

Lady Ruth Merriman had been gone for what Allie had decided had been ages, but had only been an extra month. When the summer season in London had finished, Allie had no real reason to stay, she had no suitor nor were her friends still in the city. Her sister, on the other hand, had wanted to extend her trip for a few more weeks. Ruthie had been courting a man, though Allie saw no future in the relationship. She believed Ruthie had just had fallen in love with the London landscape rather than the gentleman caller. His name was Mr. Jacob Livingston, some distant relative to the Earl of Bridgehead, but he did not hold a title himself. He was a very wealthy though. Allie guessed that his money coming from helping to fund the American railways since that had been all he had talked of the few times the two had met.

"That's right, Lady Ruth's carriage is scheduled in today." Willa walked into the doorway closest to the vanity. It was where Allie's gowns were kept, and though it was more of a room than a closet. Hangers filled with frocks of every color lined the walls. Undergarments and hair bows sat folded away in drawers.

"I cannot wait for her to be home." Ruthie had been staying with their Aunt Amanda, who spent most of her time in her London townhouse after her husband had died.