By the River

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHATPER 12:

Dria sat looking out the window in the early morning waiting for the sun to finally rise. She had woken in the carriage with her aunt, and they had a lengthy conversation about what had happened. She was relieved in a way that they had finally found the man who had put her in the position she was in. She knew that they would be getting married soon and she was also slightly happy about that.

“At least he isn’t an ugly man and far better looking than she remembered.” She thought to herself. She smiled slightly to herself and sighed and stood up and decided she might as well begin her morning routine because she was not going to be going back to sleep soon.

She knew the sun would be rising in the next few minutes and decided to ring for a bath and make sure she looked her best just in case they were to marry that day. She walked to her closet to try and decide what her best choice would be for the occasion.

After searching through for a few minutes, she walked to her chaise and flopped down in a huff. “I have nothing to wear, and I will look like a fool. Perhaps my aunt has something that might be presentable.” She thought to herself.

She jumped up when there was a knock on the door. She smiled and bade them to enter. The door opened and Amanda entered with some footmen carrying buckets of water for her bath.

“Good morning, Dria! How are you faring today? You are up extra early? Are your nerves getting the better of you?” Amanda smiled at her mistress.

Dria blushed and nodded her head at Amanda. She walked to the tub once the footmen had left and disrobed and climbed in the tub. She let the hot water calm her nerves and sighed happily. She let the water envelop her in its warm arms and soothe her. After a few minutes she sat up and began washing, knowing she could not sit there forever. She finished bathing and reached for the towel Amanda held out for her. She climbed out and wrapped the towel around herself and sat next to the fire that Amanda had lit for her.

She sat by the fire while Amanda brushed her hair out and the warm air dried her beautiful golden hair. After it was dry, Dria, and Amanda walked over to get her dressed in her chemise. “Let us do your hair then we will get you in a dress. Have you picked out a dress yet?” Amanda asked.

Dria shook her head and said no. Amanda nodded her head and thought for a moment when there was a knock on the door. Amanda went and opened the door. It was another maid Anna, and she had a parcel in her hands. “This just arrived for Miss Alexandria. It is from Duke Alvarez.”

“Lord Alvarez? As in Isa’s brother? Why would he send me a parcel?” asked Dria puzzled.

“I have not a clue Milady. I was not informed. Nor did I enquire. I apologize milady.” Replied Anna.

Dria shrugged her shoulders and reached for the package. She opened it and pulled out a beautiful baby sky blue gown. The gown was a beautiful silk with fitted sleeves, with a neckline that was beginning of a v neck, the skirt was very doomed in silhouetted.

Dria gasped and looked towards Amanda in shock. She looked back down at the dress and ran her hand over the bead work that twirled across the chest. She could not believe her eyes and how beautiful the dress was. She was in shock and could not understand why Isa’s brother had sent her this beautiful gown. Maybe his sister had seen it and asked him to send it and they had forgotten to say Isabelle’s name as well.

She looked again at Amanda in total awe. “I do not understand why he sent me a dress. There must be a mistake. Surely there is a mistake. This cannot have been for me surely. I have never met him before and I am not sure what to do.”

Amanda shrugged her shoulders and did not know what to say to her. “I haven’t a clue Dria.”

They looked towards Anna, and she shook her head and left the room. They looked at each other as Dria fingered the beads on the dress, falling completely in love with the dress. She wished this were really for her and not a mistake. But she was not sure why he would send her a dress when they had never met. She looked down at the dress again and smiled.

“Perhaps we can just try it on and see. I mean it cannot hurt to try it on even if it was not meant for me, right?” Dria smiled and asked Amanda.

The girls giggled as Amanda grabbed the dress and motioned Dria to step into the gown. She stepped in and turned around as Amanda did quick work of doing up the gown. Dria turned around and slid her hands over the gown almost reverently in awe of how it seemed to fit her perfection almost as if it truly were made for her.

“Let’s do your hair and see what it would look like with you all done up!” squealed Amanda. Dria nodded her head and sat at the dressing table while Amanda took her curls and did quick work. She twisted and pinned here and there until she nodded her head in satisfaction.

Once she was done, she had Dria turn and showed her the finished product. Dria could not believe her eyes. She did not even recognize herself in the mirror. She glanced around to make sure it was really hers. Her hair was pulled up in a half bun, three twists on each side connected into the braid as curls framed her face. She felt so beautiful.

“Oh my! I look so wondrous. I cannot believe that is me. You have done an amazing job. I love it.” Dria whispered to Amanda.

“You are beautiful without my help.” Replied Amanda with a laugh in her voice.

Dria smiled and twirled around one last time before she sighed and walked to her closet trying to decide what she would really wear. She felt her dresses were dull now compared to the wonderful creation she had on.

“I suppose now I must take it off and return it to him as this must be a mistake for sure.” Dria sighed as she returned to her dressing table.

There was a knock on the door and the girls bade whoever to enter. Dria’s aunt peaked her head in and smiled. “You look amazing! I did not know you owned such a beautiful gown.”

“I wish auntie. It was sent to me by mistake by Isa’s brother, Duke Alvarez.” Dria said dejectedly.

Her aunt looked at her like she had lost her mind and wondered if the girl ever listened when she spoke. She smiled at her niece as she walked over to her. She grabbed her hands and took a deep breath.

“Now listen to me carefully for this is the last time I will tell you this. The duke is the man who compromised you. He is the one who will be marrying you. I told you this yesterday, but you seem to have been in a bit of a shock and did not remember whom I said his name was.” Her aunt said.

Dria’s jaw dropped, and her eyes seemed to have widened to the size of saucers. She could not believe the words coming out of her aunts’ mouth. She was in shock once again and did not know what to say. She could not believe she was marrying her friend’s brother. The way Isa had spoken of her brother she would never have thought of him to be one in the same.

She looked towards Amanda and saw the same shocked expression on her face as well. She looked down at the gown and then back at her aunt. She knew she had to say something to break the awkward silence that had befallen the room.

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing he has good taste?” Dria said it was more like a question than a statement.

Amanda burst into laughter and tried to smoothen it as Cecilia raised her eyebrows at the young maid. Dria smiled glad that she had broken the tension in the room. She looked at her aunt and waited before speaking again.

“I am sorry auntie. I simply did not know what to say. I am in shock at this point once again. It seems my brain does not want to catch up to the rest of the world.”

Her aunt nodded her head and helped Dria to stand so she could take a better look at the dress as she spun her around. “You are magnificent my dear. He most definitely has good taste. I wonder how he got this done in such a brief time and had it sent here before he showed up today. It brings out your eyes and makes them shine bright.”

Dria blushed at the compliment and looked down at the floor. She fingered the beads on the chest again and marveled at how he had accomplished it as well. She looked back at her aunt and smiled at her.

“Well, we should get some food before he arrives. We would not want to wither away while waiting for him to arrive and I am positively famished.” Dria said.

Her aunt laughed and glanced at Amanda, letting her know she was dismissed. Amanda smiled and curtsied before leaving the room. The two other women following close behind her. They broke off heading into the dining area to have their meal and start their day off on the right foot before Duke Alvarez arrived and the next chapter in her life would begin.