A sequel to scene 14
It was merely a white-thatched porter—whose brawn belied his age. He flumped her trunk down in the center of the turkey rug—then left without glancing her way once. A few minutes later he brought up the rest of her chattels—and Agathe was alone for the first time in days.
She went to the leather chest and opened the lid. The aroma of rose geranium and lemon verbena suffused the room—bringing with them the evocation of lush summer days—and a precipitate twinge of nostalgia. Atop the other items sprinkled with fragrant bits of dehydrated petals—and leaves lay a packet swaddled in silver tissue.
She got rid off it, but left the trunk open—anticipating the sugary bouquet would banish the musty scent of the bedchamber. Placing the tissue on the grotty coverlet. Agathe unwrapped it scrupulously. Interior, adroitly folded—was a gown and a peignoir of white satin ribbon.
Sundry tiny mother-of-pearl buttons winked in the light—as she hung it over the door of the closet to exonerate out the wrinkles. She was delighted to have a few beautiful pieces in her trousseau. It helped to assuage her pride—coming destitute as she was to Louis.
The door opened again—and a middle-aged woman with a corrugated red face bustled in—bearing steaming copper cans of hot water. As she spotted the gown and negligee her gooseberry eyes lit up with delectation.
"Oh, ain't that something like!" She shrieked—setting the cans down by the folding screen. She beamed at Agathe—and her horny hand reached out to affectionately stroke the fabric. "As soft 'n' white as snow on the mountains! My Ma said you can allus tell a lady by her underthings—and I have never seen anything so fine in all my days!"
Agathe concealed a smile—glad the awestruck chambermaid couldn't see the well-worn and discreetly mended lingerie that lay deeper in the trunk. "Thank you. It was a gift from my colleagues at the young ladies' academy where I tutored."
"We don't get many ladies here. Mostly just salesmen and the fellows from the stage. It's so lovey-dovey, you being a bride, and all."
The words brought Agathe up short. Everything had seemed like a dream up to this point—but now reality was closing in fast.