Behind her, a familiar voice cleared its throat. Augusta spun around to see Milly in the doorway, smiling.
“Oh, Milly!” she said. “I quite forgot that you were starting here so immediately. Come in, come in.”
Milly did as she was told, shutting the door behind her.
“You look lovely, my lady,” she said in that Yorkshire accent Augusta so loved.
“You have no idea how happy I am to see you. I thought my whole wedding night would be spent with all new maids whose names I did not know.”
“Aye, my lady, you know I would never abandon you on the most important day. I assure you, I will help you look the part of the blushing bride, if you will let me.”
“Please do. I am utterly lost, Milly. I have never had to seduce anyone in my life. I know technically what happens, but not howto be bewitching. You understand my meaning?”
Milly gave a smile that told Augusta that her maid had, indeed, been in her shoes once upon a time.
“Aye, my lady. Let us get you out of that dress, and we shall start with a blank slate. I promise, with how lovely your figure is, you will need very few tricks to lure Lord Brightwater straight to you.”
The woman sounded so confident that Augusta had no choice but to believe her.
Thus began the business of undressing properly, though not to sleep this time. With Milly’s help, she removed her heavy wedding gown and undid the tight binding of her braided hair, letting it fall loose in black waves down her back.
Her trousseau included a delicate, nearly sheer shift made of light blush material that settled lovingly over her breasts and hips. The modiste had assured her that it was excellent lingerie, though Augusta had no way of knowing if that was true or not.
Now, standing in it, she imagined that it must be, for she had never felt more exposed in her life.
“Milly,” she said incredulously, “This is quite scandalous, is it not?”
“Of course it is, my lady,” Milly replied, almost proudly. “That is the point, I believe. But here.” Stepping closer, she took a few pieces of Augusta’s hair and brought them over her shoulders, so that they fell down her chest. “Men like to see your hair down. I don’t know what it is, but it entices ‘em every time.”
She fiddled about with Augusta’s hair a bit, fanning it out at the ends. “That should do it. Men don’t like all the extra frills and whatnot, or the heavy perfumes. Just be the woman he married and I promise, he won’t be able to keep his hands off you.”
Something about Milly’s assurance eased Augusta’s fears. She had not known that her maid was such a tart, but it endeared her to the woman.
“Milly, you are precisely what every woman needs on her wedding night. Thank you to heaven and back for everything you’ve done for me.”
Milly gave her a secretive smile that told Augusta her message had been received; she was not merely speaking of tonight, but of everything else that her maid had done for her. All the secrets she’d asked her to keep.
“Of course, my lady. You deserve every bit of it.” She stepped back, placing her hands behind her back and taking a professional stance once again. “If that is all, I shall leave you to wedded bliss.”
“That is all. Thank you.”
They shared another long, meaningful look before Milly disappeared through the bedroom door. In the silence she left behind, Augusta found herself with just enough time to ruminate and worry.
She was not ashamed of her figure, though she knew she still held onto some of that baby fat which had earned her so much teasing as a child. She disliked how dark her hair was in comparison to her pale skin. Would Sebastian mind it so much? Or did he look past all of that to see something else?
There was the rub; despite his kind words, she still did not understand what it was that he saw in her. It was not that she believed she had no value. She was simply aware that her most valuable traits were so well-hidden from the world that hardly anything was left over to be on display.
After working herself up into a sweat, she shook her head. She had made her choice to get married, and the marriage bed wasa part of that contract. Sebastian had only ever shown her love, and therefore she had to believe in his word. He saw something in her. That was that.
Footsteps sounded outside of the door, ending her ruminations abruptly. Her own steps halted, her heart beating wildly as the door opened. Sebastian stepped through, and the first thing Augusta saw was his collarbone revealed by the wide collar of his white shirt.
It was obscene for such a fine man to show so much skin. It made her flushed and warm even before his piercing gaze ran up and down her form. Suddenly, she recalled that she was as close to nude as she had ever been in front of a man. She stood taller to compensate, which only served to push her breasts out further.
Sebastian looked up and his breath hitched.
Chapter Sixteen
She was everything he’d imagined and so much more.
