“Yes.” She laid the crown on the dressing table as I secured the earrings.
“Do you think we should try the dress before the veil?” It was then I remembered Rett’s time limit. An hour, not a minute more. “Miss Guidry, how much time do we have?”
“Mr. Knolls isn’t here yet, so we’re still good.”
Together we stepped into the bedroom. The dress was beautiful, magnificent, stunning—every adjective I could use to describe it. I let out a sigh. “I don’t know how to put it on.”
She reached for my hand. “Now, with what you have” —she nodded toward my breasts— “and the sheer back, I don’t think you’ll be able to wear a bra. If we’d had more time, we could have gotten you something...”
My painted lips pursed. “Rett said I could have a real wedding one day. This one is just for legal purposes. Maybe it’s silly for me to get all dressed up. I should save Mrs. Ramses’s dress for later.”
“You only have one wedding, Emma. Mr. Ramses can give you another ceremony, but this is the day you are to be wed. Shouldn’t it feel special?”
I nodded as my smile returned. “All right. Let’s do this.”
Miss Guidry removed the dress from the cardboard form and arranged it on the rug. As I began to remove the robe, I had a sudden bout of bashfulness at my nakedness beneath. Rett had kept his word that panties were nowhere to be found. Warmth crept up my neck to my cheeks. Miss Guidry must have seen.
“Miss Emma, I’ve been dressing Ramses women for longer than you’ve been alive. Never you mind, we’ll do this quick,” she said with a wink.
Dropping the robe to the floor, I stepped into the circle. Miss Guidry lifted the bodice as I placed my arms into the sleeves. Sheer material accented with lace and pearls created cap sleeves. Together we tugged and pulled. The pearl-beaded bodice with the scooped neckline fit snuggly, but it did fit. Slowly Miss Guidry completed a long line of hooks and eyes followed by pearl buttons going down my back. The full tulle skirt with the lace overlay was fit for a princess and complete with a short train.
I stood in front of the long mirror in the closet, again questioning the woman in the mirror.
Miss Guidry’s hand came to my lower back. “Mr. Ramses is a lucky man.”
There was something about a wedding—even one hastily put together in an hour—that made me emotional. The reflection grew blurry as I smiled. “I think I might be lucky too.”
We both startled at the knock on the outer door.
Miss Guidry handed me a lace handkerchief. “Now, you don’t want to mess your makeup.” She grinned. “I promise to do enough crying for all of us. Let me tell Ian that we’re almost ready.” She grinned. “You still don’t have the crown and veil.”
I wasn’t sure how I’d forgotten that.
“I’ll go to the dressing table.”
Before I did, I surveyed the shoes on my rack and selected the nude heels I’d worn the first night Rett and I dined in the courtyard. Back at the dressing table, I slipped on the shoes. In the mirror I saw something amiss in Miss Guidry’s expression. I spun toward her. “Is there a problem?”
“No, no. Just the spirits.” She situated the crown on my head and secured the veil with the combs. As we both looked in the reflection, she hugged my shoulders. “You really are an answer to prayer, Miss Emma. I know you will do great things.”
I laid my hand over one of hers. “Thank you for making this special, and please tell Miss Marilyn that I promise to do my best as Rett’s wife.”
Miss Guidry stepped around and offered me her hand. With a squeeze, she said, “She trusts you. Now, let’s go.”
Emma
Ian was waiting at the door to my suite. “Miss North.”
“Not for long,” I replied with an anxious smile.
He lifted his arm. “If you don’t mind me saying so, miss, you look beautiful.”
“Thank you, Ian.”
“May I escort you?”
I hesitated at the threshold. “Aren’t we forgetting the blindfold?”
“No, miss. Mr. Ramses said that since soon this will be your home, it’s time you saw more.”