“Good morning!”

The cheery cry ripped Isla from her sleep, and she bolted upright in the bed. It took a second for her eyes to focus on the redheaded woman standing in her doorway. At the sight of Ella looking as chipper as a caffeinated squirrel, the past day’s events sprang forward with sudden clarity.

“I’m still here.”

Ella flounced into the room and closed the door behind her. “So you are. I’d begun to wonder since it’s well past sunrise, so I’ve come to check on you.” She grinned. “But here you are. Still abed.”

Isla blinked at the tightly drawn curtains. “What time is it?”

“Already a half past eight.”

And that was late? She withheld her grumbling and swung the covers off, placing her bare feet on the cold floor. The fire must have gone out sometime in the night, and the room hadn’t held onto any of that warmth. She rubbed her arms down her sleeves.

“I’ll help you dress, and then we can join the rest of the family for a late breakfast.”

Isla pinched her lips together.

“Then we have an entire day of festivities planned.” Ella grinned and walked over to the closet, swinging open the doors with a flourish. “The men will go cut evergreen branches for us, and I spotted the perfect tree this summer that Westley promised to fetch for me.”

She pulled a brown dress covered with small white flowers from the closet. “You’ll help us decorate. It’ll be lovely!”

The prospect of an old-fashioned family Christmas did sound fun. Her heart pinched. Poor Jody had wanted that too. “I’ll have to check the painting first. I need to at least tell Jody where I’ve gone.”

Ella handed her the dress. “Certainly. But if it remains closed, you’ll promise to enjoy this day the Lord has given us.”

She’d given a statement, not asked a question, but Ella waited as though expecting a response from Isla anyway.

“Okay.”

Ella tilted her head. “You have a strange way of speaking, my dear, but may I assume you’ve given your acquiescence?”

“Uh…yes.”

“Good.” She took the dress back out of Isla’s hand. “I’ll help you dress.”

“Why?”

Rather than answer her question, Ella merely stared at her. “Are you unaccustomed to another lady helping you with your dressing?”

“I haven’t had anyone help me get dressed since I was, like, six.” She took a step back. Totally weird.

Ella offered a reassuring smile. “Very well. If you need anything, just call. Someone will come to assist you.”

She stepped out of the room, leaving Isla standing in confusion. It wasn’t until after Ella closed the door, however, that she realized she still didn’t know where to find the bathroom. Isla dashed across the floor and pulled open the door.

“Hey!”

Ella turned at the top of the staircase. “Yes?”

“Where’s the bathroom?”

“I’m sorry, what?”

Isla walked out into the hall, and Ella’s eyes widened. She hurried forward and gestured Isla back into the room. “You can’t come out of your chamber without a dressing gown!”

What? Isla looked down at her long nightgown. What was the big deal? But her need to find a bathroom outweighed any argument, and she allowed Ella to guide her back into the bedroom.

“The bathroom. You know. The place with a shower, tub, and toilet? You have those, don’t you?”

Ella stood in the doorway with her forehead crinkled. “Yes, we do have a bathing room. It’s located by my daughters’ rooms.” She crinkled her nose. “But I’m afraid you’ll need to wait for a bath until this evening. We haven’t had any water heated this morning.”

“I don’t need a bath.” A shower would have been nice. “I need to, well, you know, use the bathroom.”

Ella stared at her. “But you just said you didn’t need a bath.”

“Ugh.” Isla threw up her hands. “I have to pee!”

Ella blinked, swallowed, then blinked again. Her cheeks reddened. “If you need to relieve yourself, there is a chamber pot in your room.”

“That’s gross.” As soon as the words slipped out, she regretted them. “I’m sorry. That was rude.” She shifted her feet. “I mean, I’m just used to using a toilet.”

“Forgive me. I’m sure you have many things in your time that we may not.” She dipped her chin. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to let the family know you will join us shortly.”

She closed the door. Isla hadn’t meant to be rude. After a few seconds of debate, she finally resigned herself to the use of the chamber pot.

After that and washing her hands with water she had to pour from the pitcher into the bowl and then pour again in order to rinse off the strong-smelling soap, Isla picked up the brown dress she’d dropped on the floor.

Ella hadn’t given her any underwear. Of course she wouldn’t. Who would want someone else to borrow their underwear? She probably figured Isla would just wear what she already had. But, the painting hadn’t given her anything but this long dress and the lacy pants. Well, there had been that corset thing wrapped around her middle, but why would she need that? She was plenty thin already. She tossed that on the bed.

Isla tugged the tight dress down over her head, glad to find this one also had buttons on the front. If they had been in the back she would have needed help. That’s probably what Ella had meant. She buttoned them from her waist all the way up to her throat. Then she had to button the tight cuffs along her wrists.

What else?

No need for that extra skirt she’d had yesterday. That was just clunky. She ran her fingers through her hair. No one had given her a comb. Or worse, a toothbrush. Or deodorant. Isla groaned. What a mess.

Nothing more she could do about it. Better not keep everyone waiting too long. She hurried downstairs and into the dining room.

As soon as Isla crossed into the room Ella yelped and leapt from her chair, sending it screeching across the wooden floor. Isla froze. Ailsa and Matilda gasped. Westley and Lee jumped to their feet and immediately turned their backs on her.

What in the world?

Ella and her daughters rushed to Isla in a swarm of colorful fabric. One of them clutched her by the elbow. They hauled her up the stairs, made the turn at the landing, and then all but dragged her back into her room.

Ailsa closed the door behind her and leaned against it, her cheeks inflamed. “Oh, my!”

Matilda burst into laughter while Ella shook her head. Isla backed away from them, her pulse thrumming in her ears.

She clenched her hands. “What?”

Matilda grinned and bounded across the room, latching onto Isla’s arm. “Did you see Lee’s face? Why, it was priceless!”

Isla stared at her.

“Matilda!” Ella barked. “That’s improper.”

Matilda huffed and stepped away. “Oh, fiddle. It was hilarious, and you know it.”

Ailsa offered Isla a warm smile and placed a gentle hand on Isla’s shoulder. “Miss Laird, I’m not certain how things are done where you come from, but here, a lady doesn’t present herself in public without her underpinnings and with her hair unbound. It isn’t proper.”

Ella scrubbed a hand down her face. “I’m the one at fault. I should have stayed to help her dress.”

What? She looked down at the brown dress. Underpinnings? What did that mean? And if they were supposed to be under anything, how did they know? She’d kept the lacy pants so she’d have on something underneath. Her face warmed. But she hadn’t worn a bra. The dress was so thick and her figure so slight, she hadn’t thought anything of it.

Too embarrassed to say a word, Isla allowed the three to usher her behind the dressing screen to put on another nightgown. When she came back out, they then wrapped the corset around her and laced it up tight.

“This will help you keep a proper posture,” Ella explained, “as well has make sure the dress fits properly.”

Next came the heavy skirts Ailsa called petticoats.

“The petticoats give fullness to your dress and complete a finished look.”

“Why didn’t you give her a bustle, mother? A young lady should be in fashion, even at home.” Ailsa eyed Isla and tapped a finger on her chin. “She’s not that much thinner than I, and I’ll venture she can wear one of my gowns instead of that ancient thing you gave her.”

Ella scrunched her nose. “Ancient? Listen to you.”

“Um, no bustle, please.” Isla looked between the two. “The brown dress is fine.”

Ailsa shrugged, and Ella grabbed the gown from the back of a chair. After being pulled, stuffed, and cinched, the three women finally declared her suitable.

Isla turned to the mirror. The Remington women had her layered in enough fabric to make a polar bear sweat. No wonder these people survived in the winter without central heat.

“Now.” Matilda grinned. “I’ll do your hair.”

Ella guided her to the dressing table and gestured toward a straight-backed chair. Isla plopped into it. No wonder they had perfect posture. She could hardly move in this getup.

She waited while the three of them debated over what to do with her hair. Why all the fuss? Isla started to twist it into a braid when Matilda noticed.

“No, no. That won’t do.”

Giving up, she watched as they tugged, twisted, and piled until she had an elaborate bun on the top of her head. Finally, the three women stepped back to eye her. Feeling like a puppy being inspected at the pound, Isla remained still under the scrutiny, her fingernails digging into the course fabric of the dress.

“There.” Ella smiled. “Much better.” She clapped her hands together. “Come, girls. Basil will be having a fit over a cold breakfast.”

They marched out of the room, leaving Isla to stand there in her old-fashioned costume and wonder what could possibly go wrong next.