Cailín (Lass) (Anam Céile Chronicles) (9 page)

However,
I fully intended to amend that shortly.  Not that I knew how.  Which be exactly
why I needed to be having this exchange with her!

“Recollect
the night of the full moon when we recited the old love charm?” I began
prudently.  Her eyes grew wide as Deirdre shook her head.  “Well, in the morning
so agitated you were over yer dream about Fergus, I did not want to upset you
further with me own.”

Looking
befuddled, Deirdre spoke slowly, “So, you dreamt of someone after all?”

“I
did.”  I answered cautiously, unsure of what her reaction meant.

“Aislinn!”
she chided.  “Dismay me you do!  You should have known I would have still
fancied hearing of your divine dream!”  She affected yet another injured look.

“’Tis
truly sorry I be, Deirdre.  I did it only fer want of sparing you further
anguish,” I spoke gently.  She feigned a slight sniffle, and then gestured fer
me to continue.      “Anyhow, that night, believe in any of it I did not.  I
thought it all utter nonsense.  Accordingly, you cannot fathom me astonishment
when I awoke the next morn’ at having dreamt of someone precisely as you
said!”  Reverting to her usual animated self, Deirdre gazed at me keenly, eager
to receive it all.

At
last, ‘twas time to wash that nauseating brew from me hair.  This time, I did
welcome the chilled water running through me hair.  Once ‘twas rinsed clean,
she then grabbed yet another vessel to dispense into me hair.  But, this time,
‘twas a mixture of herbs crushed fer their oils.  A conditioning treatment, Deirdre
told me, which would also work miracles in taming me frizz.  ‘Twas left in me
hair fer one half of an hour more.

Once I
dismissed me guardedness to free me confession, I chattered on joyfully nearly
every last second of that day, divulging everything that had occurred over the
past year and six months.  Whilst me hair soaked in the concoction of herbal
oils, I described to her the prophetic dream, me pleasant surprise at it, as
well as me instant enchantment with him from that first vision.  Deirdre
swooned as I presented a vivid portrayal of Donovan’s fetching features.                          

After
she rinsed me hair once more, she meticulously combed through me tresses with
zealous perseverance as I relayed me reflective times wandering in the valleys
of the
Boireann
and the all-consuming thoughts of him whilst obsessing
by the brook.  

Recounting
the day first I did encounter him in the barn amidst me insufferable father, be
a welcome diversion while Deirdre plucked me shaggy brows into two manicured
feminine arches.  ‘Twas difficult to believe how that single miniscule thing
essentially transformed me entire face, setting me eyes off beautifully!

As she
continued her incessant preening of me, I disclosed to her the endless thoughts
I had delighted in ever since, the envisioning of every infinitesimal detail he
possessed, bumping into him in town with me brother, the dreams, the thoughts,
the hopes, the doubts, as well as the fears …

When at
last Deirdre did finally reveal this fresh version of me, I be absolutely
stupefied!  Me own self I did not even recognise!  Me hair now be soft waves,
with a sheen that even made me colour appear more spectacular. 

Pish!
 
Me
father ought to have some crude words fer that! 

The day
had begun with an awkward, unkempt girl of fourteen years who knew nothing of
womanhood, and there, eyeing me in the mirror, be a confident, feminine young
woman!  I could not believe it to truly be meself!

Me
musings over Donovan to Deirdre lasted through dinner, well into the evening,
and beyond tea.  She did manage to wiggle in a few hints on utilizing me new
appearance to me benefit.  Tactics such as swaying me hips when I walked, fondling
me locks coyly, applying me eyes to flirt demurely, alluring ways to smile,
exploiting subtle maneuvers with me lips and speaking softly.

O
ftentimes,
afflicted I be with nightmares.  It had always been that way with me and always
did I have the sense that some imminent doom be waiting to claim me.  During
the night, I began screaming in me sleep.

“Aislinn! 
Waken!” Deirdre cried, shaking me ‘til I roused from me terror. 

I
opened me eyes.  She be hovering over me.  I stared at her, me eyes wide,
frozen in me terror.

“Aislinn! 
What be the matter with you?”  Worried, she searched me face.

I regarded
her vacantly and a moment it took me to realise where I be and that I be safe,
just as when I did retire to bed.  “Biting me . . .  Sucking the blood from me
. . . ’Twas a stunning woman . . .  A
Vampire
she be,” I whispered,
clutching hold of me neck to feel of it fer wounds.

“A
vampire
!”
Deirdre shrieked.  “Oh honestly, Aislinn!  Sometimes you can be so bizarre!”  Seeming
exasperated, she snorted, falling back onto the bed, and nestled her head into
the pillow.

I
attempted to coax meself back to sleep, but ended up lying there with me eyes
wide open fer most of the remainder of the night.  Early in the morning I did
manage to fall asleep.

The
next day after we arose, Deirdre diligently reviewed her ‘masterpiece’. 
Feeling sure there could be nothing left fer her to alter on me, I sat proudly
smiling at her through me new and improved confident self.  Disappointed I be
when her extensive assessment of me once again ended with a frown. 

Oh good
grief, what affliction could she possibly have thought of fer me now?

“It is
these dreadful garments!” she glowered, flipping the sleeve of me worn,
blemished, burlap blouse.  “They will simply never do!  Especially not now,
that you appear as though you should not belong in them.” 

Oh just
grand!  Deirdre has that gleam of determination in her eyes all over again.

“Aislinn,
please do tell me you possess some finer wears at home?” she pleaded, her arms
crossed firmly across her chest.

“Well …
Just more … nearly the same as these … mostly.” I answered abashedly; with an
only recently altered view of the garments I had worn fer most of me life.

“I
simply cannot bear for you to go on donning these rags!  It is not befitting of
you and will serve only to distract from all my hard work!”

“And
then, what would you have me do, Deirdre?” I asked with sarcasm heavy in me
tone.  “March right up to me
darling
father and command him the
acquisition of new garments upon me behalf?”

Clearly
perturbed, she rolled her eyes at me.  “Of course not!” Deirdre snapped,
“Neither of us would have to predict the outcome of
that
discussion!” 

Her
mood always fluid, promptly switching to a sweet voice, she said, “Let us
browse through
my
wardrobe!  There’s sure to be some wears I’ve outgrown
that I can pass to you.”  Deirdre rushed to the wooden wardrobe that housed her
garments, an extravagance I certainly did not have at me home, and flung the
sizeable doors open eagerly.

Fixed
with disbelief me eyes were as they skimmed over the unending assortment of
garments within that cabinet!  Never a penchant had I fer style, lending nary a
concern to me own attire.  Yet, even still, I suddenly found this oddly
fascinating, picturing how I might appear donning any of these dazzling wears
with me fresh look.

Deirdre
quickly shuffled through her wardrobe, passing many that appeared to never have
been worn.  She began to pull out one after another and pile them across me
arms.  Standing there in amazement I be when she ordered impatiently, “Move
along now, Aislinn!  Try these on and see if they be a fit for you.” 

I made
haste in moving to the nearby settee to lay them upon.  Already, there must
have been at least a dozen dresses laid out before me.  Surreal to me ‘twas! 
Not once in me life had I the occasion to don or even try on such lovely
wears. 

Sifting
through the ever rising stack, there were garments of all shades, some of which
I had only beheld upon wildflowers— stunning hues of rich reds, soft blushes,
brilliant yellows, vibrant greens, and deep blues.  And not a single taupe or
brown, the only colours me own garments had ever shown.

Deirdre
passed on to me still four more.  One be an understated everyday dress in a
lovely shade of green.  That one I would try first, I decided. 

Slowly
I began to disrobe, all at once most conscious of me exposure in front of
another.  Me breasts were bared as soon as I pulled me garment off, since a
proper undergarment I did not possess.  As I caught sight of meself in the
expansive tri-fold dressing mirror before me, I halted in satisfying shock at
the first sight of me own nakedness before a mirror.  Not any idea had I of how
me own form did appear.

That is
when I noticed Deirdre looking over at me, her face struck in awe.  Directly, I
clutched me arms over me breasts stooping over to hide meself much as I could. 

“Oh,
Aislinn . . .” she cooed to me softly, “it is not necessary that you cover
yourself.   Lasses we both be.  And moreover, you be utterly beautiful!”

I
wondered whether she was simply being kind, or if she might have truly meant
it.  Fer Deirdre to think someone other than herself beautiful was quite
something, indeed! 

Gradually,
I did stand upright and unwrapped me arms from me chest.  Once again, her eyes
widened in amazement as once more she looked upon me blooming breasts.  Gripped
by self-consciousness, I moved to cover meself again, when Deirdre exclaimed, “Please,
Aislinn!  Do let me look upon you without shame.  You be undeniably exquisite
to behold.”

Not a
word could I speak, so I simply stood there delighted while she looked upon
me.  Once I overcame that initial embarrassment, I did rather pleasure in it,
the novel gratification of having another’s eyes browsing over me form fondly. 
Never a thought had I given to me figure: how it did appear, or that others
might find pleasure from it.

Deirdre
continued viewing me, her eyes affixed predominantly to me breasts.  In her
eyes, there be an expression I could not identify, except that it resembled the
glazed, coveting look I had once seen in her when she spotted a beautiful new
dress she had to possess.  And as with that dress, she appeared as though she
had some inclination to feel of them. 

What an
interesting notion
. 

Finally
she spoke, her voice full of admiration.  “Why, your breasts are even grander
than mine!  I had not the slightest idea with the awful slack fitting garb you
shroud yourself in!  Quite remarkable that be, considering you are two years
younger than I!”

To that,
still I did not know how to respond.  Never before had I discoursed over me
breasts
with anyone.  I suppose I had realised they had enlarged, yet I did not
care to take much notice of it, except when their unavoidable bouncing
aggravated me as I ran through the fields.

Finally,
without knowing what else to say, I apologised.  “Sorry I be, Deirdre.  Surely,
yours be beautiful, as well.”  Suddenly I found meself wondering if she would
insist upon showing me hers now, in comparison or such.  Not sure I be just how
I felt about that.  Neither had I beheld another’s nakedness.

While
pondering the idea of that, she spoke again.  “Not to be sorry at all, Aislinn.
 It is most fortunate you are, to have such a blessing.  Most beneficial they
will be in capturing the attention of your lad.”  Deirdre winked at me and I
flushed with embarrassment.  “We
must
find you garments that will
accentuate them!”  She paused a moment lifting her hand to her chin and
scrunching up her face as she gazed off.  “A proper corset you are in need of,
to give them lift.”

I
simply looked at her bewildered, this term altogether new to me.  Amused by me
naivety, Deirdre pulled down the top of her dress to flash me a piece of the
undergarment she wore.

“Oh, I
see,” I muttered indifferently.

She
debated over something, at last declaring, “Of course, mine will never fit
you.”
 
Her eyes glazed over again, apparently at the idea of me bounteous breasts.  Deirdre
paused as she regarded them again, this time looking as if she were particularly
thirsty.