Bought For A Baby, Kept For A Lifetime-Chapter 135: Lingerie?

After a refreshing, lengthy shower, Anne had just gotten comfortable in the bedroom she had changed earlier that the maids had finally shown her was hers. Just then, a knock came at the door.

Alert, she instantly sat up, her gaze nervously pinned to the door before she quietly called, "Come in."

An older woman in maid’s uniform walked in. Earlier after the wedding, butler Jones had gathered all the staff at the manor introducing them to her one after another. She recognized this particular woman to be Razia.

Anne thought the woman was really beautiful, though she looked to be around her late thirties to her early forties she had an air of wisdom about her and a quiet beauty.

"Razia, I thought it was... someone else." Anne muttered.

As Anne kept her eyes downcast, the woman stared at her in shock. Anne didn’t immediately notice the woman’s stunned expression until she looked up and saw that she was frozen in place.

"What’s wrong?" She asked softly.

Razia shook her head and smiled warmly, "It’s nothing mistress, I just didn’t think you’d remember my name."

Anne returned the woman’s smile, "That’s because I have a very good memory, I remember people’s names immediately I’m told. And Razia, can I ask you a favor?"

The woman seemed to have become more comfortable, looking at Anne who was sitting on a couch placed against the backdrop of the floor to ceiling windows, Razia couldn’t help but feel the young woman was perfectly suited to this manor.

A few of the maids had been quietly gossipping about her being a lucky star, getting married to a remarkable man so easily, but Razia didn’t see luck, she saw a girl deserving of being here with their master who was very unfeeling and cold.

The man was very rigid in every way and seemed to lack any warmth at all, and this young woman before her looked kind and sweet, even her smile seemed so pure.

Razia believed this was nothing but a match made in heaven.

"Of course mistress, you can ask anything, I’m here to serve you."

"It’s actually about that, I’d very much prefer If you addressed me by my name. I don’t think I can get used to it if you keep calling me mistress."

"Ah, but the butler said that Is how we are to address our employers. It’s a rule."

"What if I’m the one permitting you not to call me that? I’ve only heard it a few times today and I already feel awkward, please do address me by my name."

Razia smiled warmly.

Truly a complete opposite of her husband, and Razia knew that such kind of relationships last the longest.

"As you wish, I’m here to serve you after all but...may I address you as Mrs Sterling instead? I’d never feel comfortable saying your name since there are already set rules in the manor and I do not wish to break them."

Anne wanted to insist, but she didn’t want to put the woman in a spot, nor for the woman to feel uncomfortable by her insistence so she nodded.

Mrs Sterling?

Anne was sure she would feel even more awkward by that form of address.

"Old master Sterling actually sent me to deliver this to you. He instructed me to pick the prettiest ones out that I thought a beautiful young woman like you would like, please pardon my taste Mrs Sterling, I might not be too well versed in the tastes of young women these days so I might have gone a little old fashioned."

As Razia spoke, she laid down a box on the bed and beckoned Anne over to take a look.

When the woman opened the box and Anne saw some fabric, she instantly wanted to refuse taking additional clothes, the walk in closet was filled to the brim with clothes that Anne knew she probably wouldn’t wear. Those clothes had been kept there because she was Mrs Sterling now, and Anne didn’t think that role truly belonged to her.

It was all too overwhelming that receiving even more would overwhelm her even more.

"I think this red one will suit you more Mrs Sterling, if you’re torn about which one to wear for tonight, I’d highly suggest you pick this one."

When the woman raised up the piece of cloth, only then did Anne realize what it was.

"Lingerie?" Anne didn’t mean to sound as appalled as she did.

"Beautiful isn’t it?" Razia seemed to have misunderstood Anne’s tone for excitement.

"Would you like to try them on right now and you can get my opinion on which one I think looks best on you. I have a very good knowledge of men and what they’ll like, I definitely won’t steer you wrong."

Anne swallowed hardly, looking at the pieces of fabrics with missing spots, like the breast cup which was made with extremely thin see through net fabric with a tiny star which was evidently supposed to conceal the nipples.

She...was supposed to wear this in front of Andrew?

She couldn’t!

Anne knew she’d stood naked before him once before, but that had taken a high dose of extra courage and back then she didn’t truly know him. Maybe not seeing his face had made it a bit easier, not knowing what he looked like in the day had made it easier but now she couldn’t see herself standing in something so bare in front of him.

"Do you not like the red one? How about this one?" Razia mistook her expression for not liking the one she’d picked up. She instantly held up another color, this one a deep purple but even more revealing than the first. She assessed Anne’s expression seeing that she looked even more appalled, realization dawned on the woman.

"Ah, I see now. You don’t like these because they’re a little too revealing right? But he’s your husband, you don’t need to be shy. In a few weeks your husband will be familiar with every part of your body."

Anne’s face turned beetroot red in an instant.

"That’s not..."

Razia chuckled softly, "You are very cute Mrs Sterling. Alright, I understand this is the first time so it’s natural you’d be shy, can I suggest this one then? It’s a bit more modest and doesn’t show much at first."

Razia pulled out a hot pink one this time, it did have more fabric than the others did, but Anne didn’t know how to break it to the woman that she didn’t need these lingerie sets because this marriage wasn’t what others thought.

There would no longer be any form of intimacy between her and Andrew Sterling anymore, she just needed to birth the child she currently carried.

While Anne was still contemplating how to politely refuse the woman’s kind help, Razia had already stuffed the lingerie in her arms and pushed her towards the walk in closet so she could change.

"You should really hurry and change now, master will be here any minute."

Knowing she couldn’t expose the truth of this marriage, Anne had no choice but to play along so Razia wouldn’t begin to suspect, which would lead to the fact that the marriage was merely a transaction to be exposed.

Anne reluctantly changed into the lingerie set while the woman waited for her in the bedroom.

Looking at her own reflection, Anne couldn’t help but feel the need to cover up her own chest, the lingerie pushed up an exaggeratedly large amount of cleavage, her boobs might as well be spilling out.

Thankful it came with a robe which Anne instantly grabbed and wore before walking out of the closet. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Razia looked at her expectantly, "How is it to your liking Mrs Sterling?"

"It’s very beautiful, thank you Razia."

The woman smiled in satisfaction when a calm knock suddenly sounded at the door.

"Come in." This time Anne called without any nervousness, she didn’t expect the person who walked in to be the very person she actually dreaded seeing tonight.

The tall man strode in with his usual rigid expression, and Anne held her breath clutching the robe even tighter against herself.