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morning so this announcement was a surprise.  “I didn’t know that it had been submitted.” 
     
    Nancy looked down and shrugged slightly.  “Yes, well, the thing is, I don’t know if you have anything appropriate to wear,” she started off awkwardly .  “But I have something you might want to see.”
     
    The woman’s tentative offer intrigued Emma enough to strike her curiosity.  “What is it?” she asked.
     
    Nancy smiled with obvious relief now that she realized that Emma wasn’t going to criticize or reject the offer completely.  “Come with me, if you don’t mind.”  Nancy eagerly led the way back into the house and through the large rooms , up the winding staircase.  All the way back to the last guestroom, Emma followed the housekeeper, her curiosity growing with the increasing sense of mystery. 
     
    “I was cleaning the house shortly after your mother left,” Nancy started, her voice trailing off to a whisper on the last word.  “In any case, I found this,” she said and pulled out a large, white wardrobe bag, dusty and the zipper slightly rusted but Nancy was holding the bag with a reverence that Emma hadn’t ever seen in the woman before . 
    “What is it?” Emma asked. 
     
    Nancy hooked the hanger on the back of the closet door, then slowly unzipped the bag.  Emma gasped when she saw the beautiful wedding dress inside.  “It was your mother’s,” Nancy explained with a huge, excited grin .
     
    “Oh, Ms. McGregor!  How on earth did you save this from destruction?” Emma asked.  She touched the glowing white silk with loving fingers, gently sliding down the pearls sewn into the tee length fabric.  “Its lovely, isn’t it?” Emma said dreamily , remembering a picture she’d seen a long time ago of her mother wearing this dress, her arm hooked into her father’s and looking up at him with love and a huge smile . 
     
    “Please, call me Nancy,” the housekeeper tentatively suggested .  “Now that your father has passed away, I’d rather not stand on so much formality, if you don’t mind.”
     
    Emma’s eyes glanced over to the housekeeper’s kind and weathered face, wondering if sh e was serious.  “I’d be honored if you would call me Emma instead of Ms. Mason.”
     
    “Agreed,” Nancy smiled , visibly relieved .  “As for how I saved it, your mother had me put it back here shortly after she arrived.  I think she was trying to save it then, but we’ll never know, will we?”
     
    Emma shook her head , her eyes looking over the intricate dress lovingly .  “Not true.  I intend to find her,” Emma said with a passion she had tried to suppress over the past few days .  “Was there anything else you might have saved?” she asked hopefully.
     
    Nancy shook her head sadly.  “No.  I’m sorry but your father was quite thorough about packing everything else away.  There was just the one picture I was able to…” her voice trailed off again.
     
    It was only a small setback, she told herself.  Even this glorious dress was at least a small connection to her mother that Emma would savor .  “Well, don’t worry about it.  I’ll find her somehow,” she said , firmly believing her words even if she wasn’t exactly sure how to go about accomplishing the goal .
     
    “I’m glad you’re excited,” Nancy said , a huge, relieved grin on her features .  “I’d better go get dinner started .”
     
    Emma shook her head.  “Don’t bother, Nancy ,” she said, still looking at the dress.  “I’m not really hungry .  I think I’ll warm up a little with a bath though.”
     
    The housekeeper disappeared and eventually Emma carried the dress to her own room, hanging it in her closet for safekeeping.  Then she strolled into her bathroom, stripping off her clothes as she went.  She pulled her robe off the back of the door, humming softly to herself as she turned on the water to fill up the tub.  She then pulled the pins out of her hair,