Chapter 7

As I slept, I dreamed about dancing with Jeremy, in an empty ballroom, with musical instruments that played themselves. After we danced, he took me up in his strong arms and kissed me. I let all of my inhibitions go and returned his kiss. Then he bent, scooped me up in his arms, and carried me to his bedroom. As the bedroom door closed, I woke up. It was morning, and the sun was streaming into the gap between the curtains where they met. I rose and opened the curtains fully. It was wonderful to see the sun, especially after yesterday's dreary day. I felt wonderful. I didn't wait for Betsy to come in. I went to the bathroom and turned up the gas to heat the water for my bath. While that was happening, I performed my toilet. God, that seat was cold. I heard Betsy come in, and when I returned to the bedroom, I saw that the fireplace was glowing with the warmth of a new fire. I stood in front of it and raised my nightgown to my waist, in order to warm my posterior. When I felt like I was going to toast if I stood there much longer, I went to sit at my dressing table. I examined my face in the mirror and plucked a few hairs from my eyebrows.

When I judged that I had waited long enough for the water heater to do its job, I went to the bathroom and filled the tub with steaming hot water. As it had done yesterday, the cold cast iron of the tub reduced the water temperature to a point where I could get right in. I removed my nightgown, and with a bit of difficulty, my sleeping corset. Then I climbed into the tub and relaxed in the warm water. There's nothing like a nice warm bath on a cool day. After I had relaxed for a while, I proceeded to wash my body. By now I had become accustomed to this body and I didn't get so aroused from simply rubbing on the soap. As I washed, I examined myself for any imperfections. I discovered a couple of moles that I hadn't been aware of, but other than that, this was an attractive body. I decided that if you had to get pulled back through time and stuck in another's body, then it's wonderful to get stuck in one that's so attractive.

When the water started to chill a little, I decided to get out rather than run more in, then I patted myself dry and returned to my bedroom. After pulling the sash cord, I stepped into a clean pair of underwear and put on a chemise. Betsy came in and laced me into my corset. To avoid a repeat of yesterday, she laced me down extra tightly. Then she put on my corset cover, rolled on my stockings, and laced on my boots. As she applied the many petticoats, I started to think about the day ahead. I wondered if Jeremy would be at breakfast today. Betsy broke into my reverie when she asked me if I had decided which dress I wanted to wear today. I told her of my selection and she went to the wardrobe closet to get it.

She carried it over to where I stood, and prepared to lift it over my head and shoulders. It was made of a marvelous dark brown jacquard silk that was contrasted with plain, stiff, heavy brown silk. The underskirt of both fabrics was fully gathered and pleated, and then there was an 'apron' overskirt of jacquard silk, which dips across the front and ended in a large bustle in the back. The bodice was designed with a back 'flap' that laid out over the bustle. It was tailored with plain brown silk at the bust, and a sweet 'pouf' on the upper sleeves. I wondered if Jeremy would like it.

When Betsy had finished helping me to get dressed, she left to help another of the girls. I sat down and brushed out my hair. I didn't spend a lot of time trying to fix it, since it would be easier for one of the other girls to do mine, and I would do hers. Before I was finished, someone knocked at my door. It was Martha and I invited her in. She came over and took the brush from my hand. As she brushed it, we talked.

"Amelia, Wasn't last night wonderful? Tad asked me to dance eight times. It was wonderful. He's so strong and handsome. I blushed every time he looked at me."

"Yes. I saw the way that he was looking at you. Especially when you weren't watching. But don't let him think that you're easy. Make him work at it a bit."

"Oh, you're one to talk. You practically tripped over yourself getting to Jeremy all night."

"I'm sure that I don't know what you mean. I behaved properly at all times."

"Amelia Turner, you know very well what I mean. And Jeremy Westervelt knows what you mean too. He looks at you like it's dinner time for a starving man, and you're the main course."

"I can't help how he looks at me. But I do have to admit that it does excite me."

We both started giggling. A knock at the door stopped our giggling. I said, "Come in."

Elizabeth came in and after looking at us watching her, she said, "What?"

I said, "We were just wondering where you've hidden Donald. Is that just your bustle back there?"

Her face took on a look of complete indignation, and Martha and I both started giggling.

She said, "That's a fine way to greet me in the morning. I should leave and go to Roberta's room where I might get a little more respect."

"Better knock first to make sure that Charles isn't in there."

We all started laughing, and were still giggling when Roberta came in.

She said, "What's going on in here, I heard you laughing all the way down the hall?"

Elizabeth walked over to her and slapped against the empty area beneath her bustle. "Nope, Charles isn't here. I guess that it's safe to talk."

Roberta just stood with her mouth agape. "Is that what you think? That I slept with Charles?"

I said, "No, dear. We're just teasing each other. Just having a little bit of fun after having a wonderful evening last night."

"Well, I think that you should all be ashamed of yourselves. Imagine, thinking that Charles would be under my bustle. I'm no bigger back there than any of you. Besides, he's much to tall to fit under there." She smiled, and we all started giggling again.

We spent the next half-hour brushing, combing, straightening, and primping. When we were as beautiful as we could make ourselves, we walked down for breakfast. When we arrived at the bottom of the enormous stairway, we found that the boys were waiting for us. We took their arms and they escorted us into the dining room. I guess that they wanted to make sure that we girls didn't sit as group, which would make it more difficult for them to insert themselves in our company, but I couldn't help wondering how long they had been waiting for us to appear. After pairing up, we had one too many boys, so both Tad and Harry escorted Martha. When Anne and her cousins came in, they saw us surrounded by the boys. Anne was amused, but I think that her cousins were jealous and a little bit miffed. I wonder what would have happened if they had come down first. Would any of the boys have been waiting for us?

After breakfast the boys all left to dress for working outside. They were going to try to dig us out of our snowbound condition. We watched from the library, as we had done yesterday. We giggled and sometimes laughed as they slipped and tripped in their battle with the almost four feet of snow. Occasionally, they would stop for a few minutes and trade snowballs, until Mr. Westervelt scolded them. He didn't want them using up their energy uselessly. At least not until the work was done, then they would be free to play as much as they wanted. They concentrated on clearing a path, wide enough for a horse, down the center of the driveway. It took all morning for the boys, combined with the stable hands, to make the path out at far as the front gate. They came in to have lunch and warm up. The kitchen staff had prepared lots of soup and hot beverages, to warm them up quickly. Hot cocoa had been brought out to them twice during their morning's work. In spite of being a little tired, they were in good spirits.