A sharp knock came at the closed door, and Anna glanced over from her bed. Her hair was still slightly disheveled, and she held a simple book on her lap to read by the early morning light. "Who's there?" She asked.
"It's Patti, Miss Anna." The older woman's voice was a welcome sound. "Are you decent, miss?"
Anna got out of bed, feeling the warm sun on her bare skin. She looked out the window and was nearly blinded by how brightly the sun reflected off of the freshly fallen snow. Pulling a silk robe from her wardrobe, Anna covered herself, then called for Patti to come in.
A stout woman with silver hair walked into the room with two buckets of water and huffed. "Miss Anna," she scolded, "what are you doing sleeping to this hour! You know how big today is!"
The girl raised her right brow. "What?" She asked. "It's hardly ten o'clock, Patti. I have plenty of time."
"Maybe you do, but I don't!" The woman placed the buckets on the floor and pulled aside a curtain in the corner of the room. She poured the buckets into the tub behind the curtain, then four other people did the same. "I have to get you and Miss Violet ready, plus make sure all of the kitchen staff is in order! Make life easy on an old woman and get in the bath!"
Anna smiled softly, draping her robe on her bed and stepping into the water. She winced slightly at the hot water, but eased herself in. "I can bathe myself, Patti," she said. "Go take care of Violet: she needs more help."
After leaving two towels next to the bath, Patti scurried out of the room, closing the door behind her.