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After that, she was most definitely awake. While Aloria fussed over the dress and the accessories that went with it, Sylvie dried Jordan and began the long task of drying her thick hair. Even at dawn the day was warm, and with the added fire in the hearth it was no time at all before her silken tresses were soft and nearly dry. At that point, Sylvie took strips of linen and began to wrap Jordan’s hair for bouncy curls.

Her hair rolled up, both serving women took to oiling Jordan’s skin with lanolin and Lavender oil, as well and buffing her fingernails to a clean shine. Pampered, powdered, primped, Jordan felt like a queen. When Aloria’s large hands began to massage her shoulders expertly, she swore she was in heaven.

Jemma hung back and out of the way, concerned with what she was going to wear. She alternately teased her cousin and complained about her own miseries, keeping the mood light and happy.

William had returned Aloria the previous night, and with the exception of a hug from Jordan, there had been no further references regarding the incident. Jordan had sensed no tension from the woman at all, for which she was relieved. She wanted to put it all behind them, yet she truly wondered if Aloria and William would ever be able to forget this, enough to be civil to one another. But even now, Aloria acted as if nothing in the world were amiss.

Sylvie, God love her, had been friendly to Aloria from the start, to which Aloria had responded in kind. Jordan was thrilled, for she was sure the two headstrong women would butt heads endlessly, and she was mightily pleased when they seemed to get along.

Jordan’s ladies dressed her in her undergarments, pantalets and a whale-bone girdle that made her small waist look even smaller and thrust her breasts upward. Aloria made it so tight that she could not breathe and had to beg to have the stays released just a bit. Jemma had had a good laugh over that.

The sun was steadily rising when Jordan’s two maids brought breakfast for the ladies; huge trays filled with porridge, bread and honeyed butter and warmed, mulled cider. It was Jordan’s favorite meal and she delved in with delight, spooning gobs of honeyed butter onto her porridge and slathering it onto her bread.

She ate until she could hold no more, much to the chagrin of Aloria, who wondered how she could eat so much and still stay as tiny as she did. Sylvie, however, heartily approved of her mistress’ appetite and knew the food would serve her well for her busy day.

Jordan sat on a tall stool and sipped her mulled cider as Sylvie unrolled her hair and brushed it out into a satiny mass of curls. As the old woman was forming uniform curls with her hand, there was a sharp rap on the door. Sylvie scampered for Jordan’s robe to cover her near-nakedness as Aloria answered the call.

William entered the room, without so much a glance at Aloria, who was standing next to him. His eyes were focused entirely on his radiant wife. She smiled happily up at him, gripping the mug of cider in two hands and swinging her feet.

“Good morn to ye, Captain,” she said. “What brings ye here?”

Lord, she was so beautiful and loaded with charm. He smiled back at her, his body feeling warm and languid. He hadn’t seen her since late yesterday and had missed her terribly.

“Something I think you will be pleased to see,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. From behind him, he brought forth a lovely wooden box, trimmed in gold leaf.

Jordan dropped off the stool and went to him, handing her mug to Aloria as she touched the box. “What is it?”

His eyes glittered. “From the king and queen. Open it.”

All of the women, including the two Scottish maids, crowded around as Jordan unlatched the box and raised the lid. A cry of delight went up; inside was an exquisite diamond and pearl tiara. Jordan’s mouth was agape as she lifted the prize gingerly from its cradle.

“Oh… my.” she exclaimed softly. “ ’Tis the most beautiful treasure I have ever seen.”

“To wear today, my lady,” William smiled at her happiness.

Immediately Jordan rushed over to the full-length mirror and held the tiara up on her head, observing it from different angles as Jemma danced excitedly next to her, begging to touch it. All of the women surged over to the mirror like a tide, watching Jordan play with the tiara and offering bits of advice as to how she should wear it.

William stood back and watched, wishing to God that he could be standing beside her at the altar during the ceremony and not the earl. ’Twas his rightful place, after all. But it was enough that she was truly his, and he was infinitely grateful for that.

“And one more thing, my lady, and then I must depart,” he said, digging another smaller box from his vest.

Jordan handed the tiara to Jemma and the women crowded around her cousin. She went back over to her husband.

“What is that, English?”

He placed it in the palm of her hand. “Open it.” With the women occupied, he dared to bend down and kiss his wife tenderly. “I shall see you at the ceremony.”

Jordan watched him leave before opening the little box. Inside was the most beautiful gold heart, encrusted with dozens of small garnets and attached to a delicate golden chain. It was absolutely divine and she noticed a bit of parchment folded in the corner of the box. Unfolding the paper, she read it:

You will always have my heart.

Her eyes filled with tears as she removed the necklace from the box. The women were still admiring the tiara and Jordan slipped into the privacy of her bedchamber.

There, she removed the heart from the chain and re-strung it on the chain that held her wedding band. The heart and the ring tinkled against one another like a crystal bell as she slipped it back over her head, forever to keep the two items most precious to her next to her heart. She could part with any other possession she owned, but she would die before parting with the two tiny treasures.

Sylvie barged into the bedchamber, insisting that it was time to get dressed. Jordan allowed herself to be hustled out into the antechamber and stood atop a short stool while Sylvie and Aloria carefully dressed her in the ivory and gold surcoat. It was an extremely heavy surcoat, with layers of fabric, and Jordan was already beginning to sweat beneath it.

She felt as if she had been standing still for hours while Sylvie and Aloria fussed and tied and straightened. When the ladies were finally satisfied that the dress was presentable, Jordan herself proceeded to place the tiara atop her head. Crowning her flowing hair and lovely face, she looked stunning.