Cinderella and the Lady (2 page)

The countess smiled and brushed her nose across her cheek. “Sometimes you say just the right thing. You have a sharper mind than you let on. I’m going to talk to Geraldine about having you stay with me in London. I think it will do you a world of good. This house has too many unhappy memories for you.”

Ellie sat up, at a loss for words. Yes, there were many unfortunate memories but this was all she knew. She had never ventured outside Aulnory, and the idea the countess wanted to take her to a large city like London unnerved her.

“My lady—”

“Yvonne. Why is it so difficult for you to call me by my first name?” the countess asked in frustration, her mouth molding into a pout.

“I was taught to respect my elders,” she said without thinking.

The countess stiffened and dropped her arms.

“Young lady, I may be old enough to be your mother, but I’m not as ancient as you may think I am. Why, I look young enough to be your sister—”

“There you are, you lazy girl!”

Ellie winced and started to rise, but the countess latched onto her wrist.

Geraldine hurried over to them, distaste apparent on her face. It was a typical sight for Ellie.

“There’s no need to yell at the girl. We’re having a nice chat.” The countess tilted her head to the side and stared up at Geraldine, much like her cat August would do when he killed a rodent or bug and wanted to be praised. “I’ve extended Eleanor an invitation to join me in London before the summer begins.”

Ellie opened her mouth to argue but stopped when Yvonne’s grip tightened around her wrist.

Geraldine crossed her arms and tapped her foot encased in a satin slipper. Ellie couldn’t remember the last time she had a new pair of slippers. She always wore her wooden clogs—like now, even though they didn’t match her newly dyed black dress. To have a new dress and stockings, or an even a pair of slippers like Geraldine’s was a far-reaching dream, just like the ones she had where she no longer was a source of Geraldine’s ridicule and her stepsister’s pity.

“Eleanor!” Geraldine screeched this time. “We will talk about Yvonne’s invitation later after you clean up the mess my guests have left behind.” She looked down at her in disgust. “Your father would be rolling in his grave if he could see you now, preying on Yvonne’s kindness. How can you be so selfish?”

Ellie swallowed back her tears. When the countess’s hand came back around her waist, this time pressing down on her breast, she had enough. Silently asking Jack for forgiveness, she lifted up her skirt and he landed right in the countess’s lap.

She shrieked and sprang up. “A mouse!”

Jack squeaked and both women screamed. The countess climbed onto the couch with Geraldine, who latched onto her. People rushed into the room, and August made an appearance. He shot over to where Jack scampered around.

Ellie tried not to smile as the countess and her stepmother made fools of themselves. Lord Robert and Clement returned with Egan and Noah. The men, including the other guests, looked around the floor for the rodent, but Jack had run away with August trailing behind.

Geraldine landed on the couch in a swoon while the countess seized Lord Robert in distress.

She took the opportunity to sneak down the hall and into the kitchen. She went inside her small bedroom around the corner and shut the door.

August scampered out from under the bed and hopped on top. He groomed under his leg, yawning in between. Jack climbed up the bed and sniffed the covers. August stopped his bathing and inspected the mouse intently until Jack climbed on his back and settled down, wiggling his nose. August yawned again, then closed his eyes.

“Only I would have a cat and mouse who are friends,” Ellie sighed and pushed back her hair. She stared at her reflection in the cracked glass over her dresser. Dropping her arms to her sides, her tousled, dirt-toned hair flopped over her brow. She had worn her hair short for years since it kept her cool and didn’t get in the way while she worked. The back of her hair barely touched her neck, and if she wasn’t wearing a dress and wore a shirt and breeches, she could be mistaken for a lad.

Her lips were chapped from her chewing and her face sunken from her lack of appetite. She grimaced, repulsed by her coarse hands and her broken and torn nails. No one would ever think she was a lady like Geraldine and Mina, who had perfect hair, smooth-as-silk hands, and appealing figures most men in the town admired.

Ellie turned away and sat on her bed, petting August. He slept on, softly purring with a dozing Jack cuddled on top of him. She viewed her two pets fondly, her only friends in the world who trusted her to take care for them. In their own way they took care of her also.

Lying down on the bed, she stared at the wall. She was so tired but couldn’t go to sleep yet. Soon enough Geraldine would come looking for her and give her a smack for her insolence.

For the moment she enjoyed the sanctuary her bedroom provided. It wouldn’t last for long. Her future was now more uncertain than ever before.

Home. It’s good to be home.

Kristina looked out on the horizon in joy as she spotted land. In less than two hours she would be back in Aulnory, the place of her birth. It had been five years since she last had been with her parents and her brother, spending the recent years with her grandmother who resided in Finland. The last letter her mother sent made her homesick. With her grandmama’s permission, she wrote back to her mother, the Duchess of Perrault, to say she would be home in a month’s time.

The sea air filled her lungs and she lifted her face up to the fair blue sky, anxious to walk on solid ground.

“You haven’t stopped smiling since you boarded the ship.”

She waved to Leena, the sea captain’s wife. “I’m eager to see my family. In the five years I’ve been away, I’ve seen my mother and my brother, Simon, a handful of times. For father, it’s been much longer.” She inhaled and lifted her arms. “Aulnory, I’m back.”

Leena chuckled, and wrapped her arm around Kristina’s waist. “I’m going to miss you, Tina.” Leena stared at her in sadness. She wasn’t as cheerful as she had been over the course of their sail.

She took hold of Leena’s hand. “I’ll miss you deeply.”

Leena nodded and squeezed her hand in return. “Our final goodbye this morning in my cabin was very precious to me.”

Kristina searched the area. Neither the crew nor the other passengers loitered on this side of the ship. She decided to be daring and gave Leena a kiss. Leena moaned against her mouth, caressing her cheek and her throat as she always did when they shared such intimacies.

She finished the kiss and gave Leena’s lips a lingering swipe with her tongue. Leena smiled up at her in gratitude.

“No sad tidings now.” She cupped Leena’s cheek before she dropped her arm away.

“I knew when we became friends, nothing more could come of it.” Leena stared out at the ocean. “I adore Giovanni, but you gave me something special that he couldn’t.. Next year we’ll have been married eight years.” She lifted her lips in a smile.

Marriage.
Kristina internally shuddered. “I may have to marry in the next year or so. I hope I can find someone like your Giovanni, who is understanding and sympathetic to your needs.”

Leena took hold of her hand. “I hope you find a man who will treat you like gold. Dare I ask if you’ll return to Finland for a holiday or perhaps for your honeymoon in the future?”

Kristina shrugged, hiding her disdain at the possibility of having to share a bed with a man who would have complete ownership over her body. “Perhaps one day. Grandmama is settled there and I would hate not seeing her again. But it might not be for a number of years.” She tapped her thumb against the side of Leena’s hand before letting go. “Maybe you can rent a house and stay in Aulnory while Giovanni sails on his next trading expedition.”

Leena laughed sadly. “He won’t allow it. He wants me by his side. I wouldn’t refuse him. Giovanni has given me so much and has asked for little in return. After this run, we’re headed off to South America for two years, and then to Australia for another three. I…I’m uncertain if we can even write to one another.”

Ah, so that’s how it’s to be between us.
Kristina suffered a sense of loss, but knew exactly what she was getting into when she accepted Leena and the terms of their
friendship.

She ran her fingers down Leena’s arm. “I’ll always treasure our time together. How soon do you leave for better waters?”

“Three days. Giovanni has some business in Aulnory to attend to first.”

“Before you both leave, you must dine with me and my family. My parents would love to meet the woman who saved me from being run over by a carriage.”

Leena brushed her shoulder against hers. “I would like that very much.”

Kristina nodded in approval and made small talk until they anchored in the harbor. With one last goodbye kiss, she left Leena, excited for her homecoming.

* * * *

The ducal carriage waited for her near the pier. Other than the driver and two footmen, no one in Kristina’s family was there to greet her. Expecting her mother or brother to welcome her home, she found the situation odd but didn’t let it upset her. She was a few hours earlier than expected, and when she asked the driver, he told her he was instructed to come first thing. Unfortunately the duke and duchess had some important appointments they couldn’t reschedule. She didn’t mind. Her reunion with her family would be more ideal at the home she’d grown up in rather than inside a stuffy carriage and talking over the clopping of the horses and the ramble of the people outside.

As soon as she and her luggage were settled inside, the carriage carried her away. The motion of the carriage made her yawn and she blinked, succumbing to sleep. She had just nodded off when they hit a rut in the road and she bounced, hitting the top of her head against the ceiling. Rubbing her head, she yawned and peered out the window. The walkway was cluttered with people, and carts and horses lined the street. She wanted to hang out the window and announce her arrival. Swallowing a giggle, she sighed and stretched her arms high above her head.

Her eyes started to close again when she caught sight of a girl in an unflattering black dress, years out of date. The girl kept her head down, sans a bonnet, and held a woven, oval-shaped basket. Unlike the dreary color of the dress, the small blanket covering the basket was a dark red. The sun broke through the clouds and encased her in a glimmer of light, bringing out the multi-toned shades in her otherwise unkempt, poorly cut curls.

She looks miserable
. A pang of sympathy for this stranger fallen on hard times caused Kristina’s chest to tighten.
And she looks so young.

Suddenly the head of a grey cat popped out from the basket. The girl stopped in her tracks and covered the cat. Nodding, as if pleased with her work, she tipped her face up to the sky and smiled.

Kristina sat there dumbfounded, struck by how pretty the girl—no,
woman
—became when her face roused with vitality and her eyes shone with exuberance.

The entire exchange lasted seconds, but to Kristina it felt much longer. As the carriage continued onward, she stuck her head out the window to watch the woman, again with her head down, continue on her journey.

Only when the carriage turned the corner did Kristina sit back, bewildered and slightly flustered. She couldn’t justify her reaction to the poorly dressed woman with a bleak disposition.

Her stomach growled. Now it made sense! Her hunger must be responsible for her bizarre response. She had missed breakfast, passing on the meal to spend the morning in bed with Leena.

Satisfied, she settled back against her seat and closed her eyes. Instead of revisiting her last interlude with Leena, a vision of a woman with a sad but tender smile and hair in desperate need of trim appeared before her.

* * * *

Clement’s and Egan’s shop, named the Ruskin and Lyons Clothing Emporium, was one of the more popular establishments in Aulnory. Their reputations for hiring the most skilled of tailors and couturiers were praised for miles around. By the time Ellie arrived, the main room was brimming with customers being measured and fitted by the staff. There were two rooms off to the side, one for men, the other for women. She loved visiting the shop to admire all the pretty clothes. She still wore her mourning dress and would for another six months out of respect for her father’s death—unlike Geraldine and Mina, who were already talking about purchasing a new wardrobe for the season.

Noah folded pieces of fabric behind the front counter. His glasses laid low on his nose and his eyes were cross-eyed as he smoothed out a wrinkle on a scarf.

He glanced up and waved her over when he saw her. He fixed his glasses and tugged on the cuffs of his shirt. “Hello, Ellie, it’s nice to see you,” he greeted, holding out his hand for her to take. She gave him hers, and when kissed her knuckles, she tried not to blush. She could never understand why he went to such lengths to treat her like a lady.

“Good day,” she murmured, and when she lifted the basket on the counter, August snuck out from under the blanket.

Noah lifted his hands up to his mouth. “Isn’t he precious? Hello there, old boy.”

August meowed and squirmed, trying to get out of the basket. Ellie pushed him back down but Noah took him out. August purred while Noah petted him. Jack didn’t make a peep. She fixed the blanket over him. It was one thing to bring her cat, but she had a feeling it wouldn’t go over well if Jack jumped out and examined his new surroundings.

A vision of Jack scampering up a woman’s leg while she tried on some dress made her giggle.

When Noah lifted a brow in a question, Ellie sobered. “I’ve come to pick up my order. Is this it?” she asked, in awe of such
exquisite
satin displayed in front of her.

Noah handed August back to her. “This is for another customer. Yours is in the back. Follow me.”

She had been in the back many times before, where she had been invited to try on some of the dresses Egan and Clement were working on. They walked down the hall and passed the sewing rooms. Noah took her to into an office filled with piles of paperwork on desks and chairs. He hauled the papers off a chair and put them on the ground.

“What are you doing?” she asked, placing August on the floor when he started wiggling.

“Clearing the seats. Da and Clement will want their mid-morning tea soon. You’ll join us, of course.”

She wished she could stay for tea and chat with her three favorite people in the world, but Geraldine would have her head if she didn’t get back to the house in time to serve lunch.

“I can’t stay long. I’m needed back at the house,” she said.

Noah motioned for her to sit on a vacant chair. “Have a cup with us. You deserve a break. You must have been up at the crack of dawn working your fingers to the bone.”

“Before dawn,” she replied and sat.

Noah cracked his knuckles. “I’m going to need a strong cup of tea, possibly with something besides milk and sugar mixed in.”

“Why’s that?” she asked.

He cleared his throat. “The fabric you asked me about isn’t for our usual customers. They’re for someone extra special.”

“Don’t keep her in suspense.” Clement leaned against the open doorway. Egan came up behind him and settled his hands on his shoulders.

“Is my son being modest? He should be shouting to the hills how he’s been chosen as the personal tailor to Perrault’s heir,” Egan said with pride.

Noah squeezed the back of his neck. His entire face grew red and he scuffed the toe of his boot against the floor.

The older men smiled at one another. Egan lifted Clement’s hand up to his cheek. Something tender passed between them. Ellie lowered her gaze to her lap. She wished she could be looked upon with such genuine love.

“Da, you’re embarrassing me,” Noah said and disappeared into the smaller room off to the side.

Both men entered the room with their arms around their waists, but finally separated when Clement hunched down in front of Ellie and titled up her chin. “How are you faring, child?”

She shrugged
. “My chores have been keeping me busy. I haven’t had time to think about other…things.”

Clement nodded and stood. He winced when his knee popped. “Ah, these old bones of mine.” He rubbed his thigh.

Ellie shot up from her chair. “Here, sit. You look like you need more of a rest than I do.”

“Thank you for your concern. You’re always so thoughtful.” Clement patted her hand and sat down.

“He’ll listen to you, but when it comes to me or Noah, he brushes us off.” Egan stared down at Clement, his eyes piercing behind his glasses.

Clement flicked his hand in the air and crossed his leg over the other. “You and your son worry too much. I’ve been on my feet longer today, all because of that blasted party tonight.”

“Party?” she asked, wondering who was having another celebration. It seemed each week someone was having some sort of get-together.

“The Cranes are.” Noah came out with a tray covered with cups and plates, and a pot of tea. “They’ve invited all the hoity-toity gents and their ladies to welcome home Perrault’s daughter.”

“Have you been invited?” she asked and set out the tea on the table Egan had brought over from the corner of the room.

“We’re the lowly working class. Perhaps if we own a bank or a law practice we would have been sent an invitation,” Clement replied, not looking insulted by the snub.

“But you and Egan are beloved citizens who do a fine business and make as much money as snooty Mr. Crane,” she announced. When the three men didn’t respond, she bit her lip and stared down at her lap. Mortification spread through her from her impolite speech and she waited to be reprimanded.

“Now, that’s impressive,” Noah replied, approval spreading across his face.

Both Egan and Clement stared at her much like they did before when they mentioned Noah’s new employment. Her chest tightened and a warm tingle came over her.

The dong on the clock came from the wall. Noah tugged on the cuffs of his shirt. “I guess I won’t be staying for tea. My appointment with Sim-erm Perrault, the son, in half an hour. I should go.”

“Hop to it, then.” Egan embraced his son and gave him a hard pat on his back.

Noah buttoned up his jacket and swept back his hair. “I’ll make you proud, Da.”

Egan took hold of Noah by the arms. “You already do.”

Ellie blinked away the wetness forming in her eyes, and when August pawed the hem of her skirt, she lifted him in her arms and rubbed her cheek against his fur.

Noah grabbed a large satchel and said his goodbyes as he rushed out the door.

“Maybe now, with Noah’s respected position, you can attend the Crane party,” she said, hiding the longing in her voice. She envisioned people dressed in their best as they dance around the room, eating the richest foods and spirits.

“The Cranes are terrible snobs. Even with Noah’s new position, we wouldn’t have been invited. Perhaps if Noah marries the duke’s daughter,” Egan explained and snorted as he took a seat next to Clement. “Not that would happen in a million years.”