Olivia woke up in a warm bed. She looked around and could not recognise where she was, although she was sure it was not the rented cottage. She pushed away the comforter and stood up; she was wearing this horrible, huge white nightgown. Her shoes were next to the door, but her pink satin dress was nowhere to be seen. Was she that drunk that she didn't remember a thing of the wedding? What a great bridesmaid, she thought.
She opened the door and walked barefoot down the hallway, looking for anything or anyone familiar. Climbing the stair, a woman she didn't know came toward her.
"My dear, what are you doing in the middle of the hallway? A lady should not be seen when she is ready for bed. We are hosting many officers here, you do not want any of them to get false impressions on yourself," she grabbed Liv's arm and led her back toward her bedroom.
"What? I am sorry, but I don't think I recognise you. Are you in Maggie's side?"
"I am Mrs Mary Sutherland. What is your name, my dearest?"
"Olivia Jones,"
"Where is your husband, my dear? You were in a pretty bad shape when you were found in the wood, almost naked furthermore."
"I don't have a husband; I was travelling with 2 friends, Matthew Brown and Andrew Miller. Are there here yet?"
"No, not that I know. And I know everyone from around here. But it is quite late; you better get some beauty sleep. We will discuss more tomorrow. Colonel Tavington will probably want to talk to you too. Sweet dreams, Miss Jones," Mrs Sutherland replied before she closed the door, leaving Olivia alone.
She looked around the room, a weird feeling rushed over her when her eyes focussed on a painting on the wall that was still wet. The date at the bottom was odd; 1778. Why would the paint still be wet in 1778? Sounds of horses neighing woke her from her daydreams. She rose to her feet and walked toward the window. Night had fallen and she could only distinguish 5 figures with the torches the workers welcoming the men carried. She looked at them; they seemed to be wearing red uniforms she had already seen before in history books. One of the men lifted his head up and focussed his gaze on her figure through the window. He took off his hat and nodded his head toward her. She felt he could see through her soul and felt her cheek blushed. She nodded back and shyly smiled. She had to talk herself to turn away from the window and headed back to her bed. She blew the candle and laid her head on the pillow. The bed was surprisingly comfortable. She always slept better in hotels than in her own home.
She was drifting into sleep, but heard burst of voices on the other side of her door. She recognised Mrs Sutherland's voice and a man. Her door opened just a crack and she blinked her eyes, trying to focus on who was there. Since it was quite dark, she could not distinguish the man peaking inside and closed back her eyes.
The next morning, Mrs Sutherland invaded the bedroom with her maid and many layers of clothing. The maid started to tie every pieces onto Olivia's body while Mrs Sutherland talked nonstop about the ball she was hosting tomorrow. She invited Olivia and reassured her that she could find a husband at the event, hinting that she might have a special someone in mind for her. Olivia listened politely, still wondering how she could be in 1778.
Once fully dress, Olivia looked at herself in the mirror; the color was flattering on her skin tone, and the stays were doing wonders with her cleavage. She wasn't sure it was adequate for daytime.
"You can keep all that for the ball tomorrow," Mrs Sutherland said when she installed a piece of lace around her neck, covering her large chest. "Come, Colonel Tavington is waiting downstairs."
Olivia walked very slowly and carefully down the stairs, not even knowing where her foot were. She raised her head when she got to the last steps and her eyes met the most fascinating blue eyes she ever saw. In her distracted mind, she forgot she still had one last step and missed it. The man in front of her easily caught her and held her close to him, until her feet were safely on the floor.
"Are you alright, milady?" he asked.
"Yes, thanks to you," Olivia replied, before she pulled away from his embrace.
"Colonel Tavington, this is Miss Olivia Jonas I talked to you about yesterday," Mrs Sutherland quickly said, putting too much emphasis on the miss.
"The very lovely Miss Jones, it is a real delight to meet such a beautiful British woman in those colonies," Tavington said as he delicately kissed the top of her hand.
Mrs Sutherland looked at both of them and smiled; she always enjoyed so much doing the matchmaker all around her. Olivia's arrival was her new challenge and she could see in the Colonel's eyes she might be the one to break into his very hard shell.
/
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