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Her hair done, Ivy ran over to her wardrobe and pulled it open so quickly, she nearly tore it off the hinges. She rifled through her large collection of dresses, rejecting most everything she touched.
“The green one,” Mira offered. “The dark green with the black scrollwork.”
Ivy pulled it out of the wardrobe and looked at it as she held it to her body. It had always been one of her favorites. It was a deep, rich green with a scoop neckline, long sleeves, a black sash around the cinched waist, and intricate black scrollwork that ran up the length of her sleeves. It had been a little while since she’d worn it, but she thought she had always looked pretty in it.
“Definitely the green,” Mira said. “It will most definitely turn Fin’s head.”
“I do not know if that’s what I want,” she countered.
Mira gave her a mischievous smirk. “If you weren’t considering it, you would have rejected the green dress outright.”
Ivy laughed, knowing her handmaiden had a point. Ivy quickly got dressed, and Mira helped her touch up her looks. Ivy’s mind was consumed with thoughts of Fin - and questions. Why had he come to Elix? Had something happened to the Duke? Had something happened to Gillian? The latter thought made her stomach tighten almost painfully.
She pushed the thoughts away and tried to focus on the positive. Ivy truly believed that thinking positively would ensure a positive outcome. Granted, it was not always easy for her to live by that creed, but she tried. But after Gillian had always shown her such kindness, Ivy truly did not want anything bad to happen to her.
“How do I look?” Ivy asked.
Mira smiled wide. “You look stunning. Beautiful,” she said. “Every superlative known to the world and then some.”
“Thank you, Mira,” she said. “I feel pretty right now.”
“As you should.”
Ivy took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, doing her best to steady her nerves. She focused on her breathing and tried to slow her racing heart. Slowly, as her tension began to ease, she looked over at Mira.
“Are you ready?” she asked, impressed there wasn’t even the slightest tremor in her voice.
“Of course,” Mira replied. “Let’s go see what this big, handsome Scotsman wants, shall we?”
Ivy nodded, and together, they walked out of her bedchamber and straight for the great hall where her brother, in all his pomposity, would no doubt be receiving him. If it were up to Ivy, she would have received him in the salon, where it was a little more intimate and seemed friendlier. In her opinion, receiving people in the great hall was just a way her brother liked to show off his superior position. Ivy believed the grand hall should only be used for important House functions and receptions. Not for one man who traveled from York.
As they walked down the halls together, Ivy found herself curious about what he was doing there. About what he wanted. But that made her thoughts turn inward, and she began to wonder what it was that she wanted.
