Iliana was out of bed in a trice and shifting through the gowns on the bed. After a moment, she paused, disappointment on her face. “But these are all undertunics, Ebba. I cannot go below in any of these.”

“Oh, aye. I almost forgot.” Rolling her eyes, the woman moved to the chest beside the door and quickly opened it to shift through its contents. A moment later she straightened, a neatly folded swath of material in hand.

“Your husband told me this was for you,” she announced, returning to her side. “’Twas to be a wedding gift, but he never got around to giving it to you.”

The maid avoided meeting her gaze as she said the last part, and Iliana smiled wryly. No doubt the truth was, Duncan had not given her this “gift” ere now because she had not behaved as a true wife. It seemed last night had changed things. They were getting a new start on their marriage. Mayhap all would turn out well now. In fact, she was determined it would. She and her husband had straightened out quite a few things the night before…hadn’t they?

Frowning suddenly, she considered that. The truth was, she had revealed her soul to her husband, and he had made love to her with a tenderness and passion that had been different than the first time they had consummated the marriage, or even the time he had loved her in the woods. It was the tenderness that had made it different, she supposed. Not that he had been rough those first two times. But this time there had been something different, something more than the passion that had flamed and consumed them both those other times. He had almost seemed to be paying homage to her.

That must mean something, mustn’t it? She wondered over that worriedly, chewing on her lip. In truth, her husband had said very little that would make her think things would be different now. While he had said that he did not wish her to change, he had not said that he himself was willing to do so. He had made no promises to bathe more often or…Or anything, she realized, sinking to sit on the bed.

“Why do you not unfold it and take a look?” Ebba asked with a frown, bringing Iliana away from her glum thoughts.

Sighing, she unfolded the material, slightly surprised when she saw that it was a plaid she held.

“He told me how to help you don it,” Ebba announced suddenly with a smile. “He even showed me. Was that not thoughtful?”

“Aye.” Iliana forced a smile and stood. “’Twas most thoughtful.”