Belle slipped on her plain yellow dress over her chemise, which was still disheveled from last night's activities with her husband that brought a flush to her cheeks.
Done dressing, she left the room and walked down the polished, marble-clean floor until she found her sister's chamber. When she got there, she knocked on the door a few times before Eve's maidservant, Beth came to open it. The maid peeked her head out, but upon seeing Belle standing outside, she frowned and eyed her up and down.
"Is Eve awake? I need to do something in her chamber," Belle said to the girl, who was still eyeing her suspiciously and blocking the doorway.
"Lady Eve is still sleeping. She wouldn't want to be disturbed this early in the morning. Whatever you need to do in her room can wait until the lady is awake," the girl replied curtly. She looked no older than Eve herself, and with a dismissive frown, she was already moving to shut the door in Belle's face.
