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Casey chuckled. “So I’ll have drunken ears?”

“Only if you let them overindulge,” Naomi said with a straight face.

A knock sounded on the door, and Tamsyn entered followed by a maid carrying a tea tray and a plate of biscuits. “It’s always time for tea,” she explained. “How are matters proceeding? I don’t see any blood or bandages.”

Naomi chuckled. “I’ve been very well-behaved so far.”

After they’d had their tea, Naomi said, “Now it’s time for dressing you from the skin out. You can stand behind that screen to remove what you’re wearing now, and I’ll pass over the proper female undergarments.”

Casey sighed, but she’d promised to give female clothing a fair try, so she moved behind the screen and stripped to her skin. Naomi passed over her new underclothing. “Here are a shift and drawers. When you have those on, I’ll help you with the short stays.”

As Naomi said, the stays were reasonably comfortable when properly adjusted, but wearing them was … odd. They shaped her torso in a distinctly female way. She supposed that was the point.

“Now it’s time for the morning gown Naomi had made up,” Tamsyn said as she lifted the garment and handed it over the screen. “I think this will look lovely on you.”

Curious, Casey asked, “How do you get things made so quickly, Naomi?”

“The seamstresses I use are the sole supports of their families, so they’re always happy to have more work.” Her eyes twinkled. “Especially since I paid twice as much for a rush job this close to Christmas.”

That explained the quickness. Now it was time to evaluate the results. Casey dropped the gown over her head. The fabric was a light but rich blue shot through with darker threads, and the skirt fell in pleats from the high waist to her ankles.

She stepped out from behind the screen so Naomi could do the fastenings on the back. The bodice was fitted closely and made it clear why the stays were needed. It felt very odd that after years of concealing her breasts, she was now emphasizing them! She wanted to grab a shawl and cover herself, but the goal was to look like a proper female, breasts and all.

After fastening the ties, Naomi brushed down the pleats. “Now take a look at yourself in the pier glass.”

Casey swallowed hard when she regarded her image in the long mirror. She made a partial turn and the skirts flowed around her ankles. It was a lovely gown, but …

“It’s beautiful. But …” She hesitated before continuing. “I don’t recognize myself! I don’t feel like this woman. Does that make sense?”

“It does,” said Tamsyn said soothingly. “You’ve spent many years pretending to be a different person. That’s not going to change overnight. Walk around a bit and see how the gown feels.”

Casey obeyed. The slippers that Naomi had given her were much more lightweight than any other footwear she owned. “These slippers feel very flimsy.”

“Indoor female footwear is usually very light. This pair of slippers is leather and heavier than dance slippers, which are often made of silk,” Naomi explained. “Those are very elegant and very easy to wear out!”

Casey sighed. “Are half boots allowed?”

“Yes, though they’re usually worn outdoors. I’ll find you a pair that are for indoor use. You’ll like them better than the slippers.” Naomi circled around Casey, studying the gown and how the fabric fell. “No alterations are needed. This isn’t a very fitted gown, except for the bodice, which makes it easy to wear.”

“But I’m cold!” Casey said with a shiver.

Naomi turned and dug a folded square of multicolored fabric from a shelf. “This Kashmiri shawl will help.”

Casey unfolded the fabric and found that it was a marvelously soft mixture of rich colors and patterns. She draped it around her shoulders and found that it immediately warmed her, as well as covered most of her torso. “This is beautiful!” she said as she stroked the fabric. “With so many colors, it will go with everything. I may never take it off.”

“That’s quite acceptable, especially in winter,” Tamsyn said. “Now you can practice walking around in that gown to get used to the feel of it. You can wear the shawl in this afternoon’s dancing lesson if you need it, though dancing is warming.”

Casey made a face. “I’m really going to be taught how to dance? Everything has been happening so quickly!”

“You have years to make up for.” Tamsyn tilted her head thoughtfully. “What would you like your new life to look like?”

Casey frowned as she considered. “I love being surrounded by other gifted people so I don’t have to worry about saying things I shouldn’t know. I like being busy, I enjoyed working on the accounts with Rhys, and I loved riding with Cameron. Beyond that, I really have no idea what kind of future I want.”

“It will probably take you time to figure this out.” Tamsyn grinned. “Or realization might strike in an instant. We all have our own paths.”

Tamsyn was a good example of Tremayne understanding and kindness. Casey turned to look in the mirror again. Was that really her? The image felt a little more like her than it had earlier. Step by step …

Turning to Naomi and Tamsyn, she said, “Cameron told me that the Tribe of Tremayne is large. I would have expected to see more people here.”