9 A tour of the manor (2)

The breakfast went down quickly and Olivia had yet to come back when Amelia lowered herself into the hot water of the bath. She felt her tense muscles relax as warmth and a faint scent of lavender surrounded her.

It was nice to not have to fight the maid about bathing on her own like she had to do her first two days here. Being washed by someone else would truly be uncomfortable. Even though Amelia had not been beaten for a while even before Dario Beaumont had come to the Ainsworth's mansion she still tensed up whenever someone got too close to her. She prefered not to be touched. Even less, she did not want anyone to see her scars. Most of them were faded but it was still unsuitable for a woman to have such noticable blemishes.

She soaked in the tub until the water had started to become cold, reluctant to get out since unfamiliar voices could be heard from behind the bathroom door. Eventually she could not postpone it any longer though as her fingers had started resembling prunes.

Amelia stood up, wiped her body dry and dressed herself in the underwear that Olivia had folded on a stool by the door. The undergarments paired with stockings covered her whole body except for the neckline and her arms. Most of her scars were on her legs and back so she felt confident that none would be visible when she exited the bathroom. Still, she scrutinized every inch of exposed skin in the sunlight from the window to be absolutely sure.

Í'm being silly, aren't I? I'm still terrified of being looked down upon, even by the employees of the man who basically owns me. As if I have any dignity left.'

Amelia opened the bathroom door that led back into her own chamber. Outside was not only Olivia, but two other maids whos faces Amelia had not yet seen. They had brought a clothesrack that was hung full of dresses in a variety of diffrent colors. On the vanity stood a box with shoes and another with what looked like accessories.

The unfamiliar maids curtsied and introduced themselves in a strangely respectful manner. One of the maids, a short girl named Sophia, looked to be very young while the other one called Flora seemed to be quite a bit older than Amelia herself. Sophia had blonde hair, similar to Olivias but completely straight and quite thin. Flora on the other hand had a dignified look to her with thick dark brown hair, pale skin and a beauty mark above her thin lips.

"These two have been assigned to help you get ready, miss. They are both very skilled in styling. Sophia is actually the person who decided on which dresses to order." Olivia explained.

Amelia was unsure on how to respond so she simply nodded and smiled meekly.

Olivia did not waste any time. She started shouting out commands to the two maids like she was some sort of war general.

"Sophia, choose a dress for the miss. Make sure it's not too uncomfortable! Flora, start working on her hair!"

It was an almost comical scene to witness; they acted as if Amelias appearance was of utmost importance. She felt a tug in the corner of her lip. 'Olivia is surprisingly bossy. How can she act like that, especially towards Flora who's older than her?'

For the next hour Amelia was showered with questions that she had never have had to answer before. Which color dress did she prefer? What scent of hair oil did she want? How should they part her hair? Which moisturizer did she want? The attention she recieved was almost overwhelming.

When the maids were finally done with her and she looked in the mirror she nearly did not recognise the person who stared back at her.

She was wearing a pastel green dress. The shape of it was simple to prioritize her comfort but the fabric was of high quality with intricate details of embroidery and lace. Her previously brittle and dull hair had been trimmed, combed through with scented oils and was full of luster. She looked pretty. Although she was still very thin, her cheeks had gotten a bit fuller during her stay in the duke's residence and her skin did not look as dry as it had previously.

"You look absolutely beautiful miss Amelia!" Oliva exclaimed.

"Very pretty miss!" Sophie agreed.

Amelia touched her face. She almost looked like a pampered daughter from a well off noble family. Even the freckles on her nose that proved her frequent exposure to the sun somehow did not look out of place.

"The three of you are amazing" she mumbled under her breath.

Gordon was already waiting for Amelia in the hallway when she exited her room. He bowed and greeted her, just as respectful as he had been when she first arrived if not even more so.

"Olivia told me that you'd like a tour of the manor?" He asked with a gentle smile.

It really was a disarming smile.

"Ah, yes… But if you're busy I don't mind looking around on my own."

"I could never be too busy to show Lord Beaumonts important guest around."

'So he is busy.' She chewed her bottom lip anxiously.

The manor did not look as frightening in the daylight. During the night it had resembled the Ainsworth mansion more than Amelia was comfortable with but it was now obvious that she was someplace else. This residence was way more luxurious.

And much bigger.

Even though Amelia had a fairly good sense of direction it did not take long for her to lose track of where they were. The rooms in this manor were endless and the hallways looked too similar.

She had taken special note of where the most important rooms where; the dining room, sitting room, main hall and, most of all the, library. Gordon had seen the amazed look on her face when he first opened the doors to the gigantic library and told her that she was free to access it as she wished.

Amelia wondered how long it had been since she last had the time and energy to read.

It took them hours to finish the tour, excluding the time it took for Amelia to have her lunch. Even then Gordon had yet to show her most of the outside. They had been through parts of the garden but all the surrounding areas like the stables and training grounds still remained unexplored.

Her entire body ached when she finally returned to her room.

She layed down on the edge of the bed, arms spread out and her feet still touching the floor. Even though it was bearly dark outside she was exhaused.

'I thought I was used to lacking sleep.'

The clothes on her body felt stifling. She tugged at the collar on the dress while attempting to kick off her shoes without having to sit up, but was unsuccessful in doing so.

She quickly gave up and just layed still on the bed, looking at the beautifully embellished ceiling with a blank stare. She tried to visualize where the manors' important rooms where located, and how to get to them from her room. As expected, she didn't even remember half of what she had seen today.

Still, the library was clear in her mind. Endless rows of fully stacked bookshelves that reached all the way up to the ceiling, gigantic windows that bathed the entire room in sunlight. Yes, the library was truly memorable.

'And I'm free to access it as I wish, at least for now.'

Amelia smiled at the thought.