I woke myself early the next morning to wash my hair. It had so much powder in it, my arms got tired mid-wash. One of the serving girls offered to help me, but I was used to doing it myself. I had lowered the neck of my sleeping gown off my shoulders to keep from getting it wet and when I finished, I wrapped my hair in a towel and piled it on top of my head. I held my sleeping gown up with one hand, the towel with the other. I left the washroom, heading for the comforts and privacy of my own room, hoping that no one would see me. Alas, no such luck.

“Marina?” Jared’s eyes bulged out of his skull.

“Jared!” My hand moved from holding my towel to trying to drag my sleeping gown over my exposed shoulders, but in doing so, my towel fell and my hands flew up to catch it. In an instant, I regretted it, as my sleeping gown, without hands to hold it up, slipped down my body to rest on my hips.