37
Ella’s Scandal
There were no expectations that Lady Tremaine would go quietly, but Ella had hoped for the sake of not looking like a family on a trashy talk show that her stepmother wouldn’t take a swing at her.
The police cuffed Ella’s stepmother, taking her to wait out her temper in the backseat of the squad car while the neighbors gathered around to gawk at the scene. Ella was certain they’d known about the abuse—known, and did nothing. Anastasia stood in the center of the living room, shouting obscenities at Ella, weeping openly that her own sister was kicking her out to a life on the streets.
Ella didn’t respond, but stayed near the police officer as she gathered up her stepfamily’s belongings and began shoving them into laundry baskets and trash bags. When Anastasia proved incapable of picking up the bags, Ella then took the loads to Lady Tremaine’s SUV.
Drizella came home to the chaos, fresh from her date with Gary Herchon, who couldn’t have squealed away quick enough after dropping her off at the curb. Drizella ran into the house, raising her hand to Ella, but then caught herself when it dawned on her that there were witnesses. “Where’s Mom?”
“Your mother’s in the back of the squad car out front.” The officer explained the situation to Drizella and then told her to start packing. Drizella, of course, had no experience with actual work, so she stood in the middle of the living room with Anastasia, yelling at her sister to stop crying.
When Rory and Cordray walked in the front door, Ella dropped the laundry basket of Ana’s shoes in the hallway and ran to them, throwing her arms around them both. “Thank you! Oh, I’m so glad you’re here. Did Henry send you?”
Rory’s eyes were wide at the sight of Ella’s stepsisters throwing tantrums in the living room. “He did.” She squeezed Ella and whispered, “He’s in his car at the end of the street, waiting for you to say the word so he can come lend a hand.”
Ella’s heart flooded with warmth and confidence. Though she wanted nothing more than for Henry to be with her for the rest of her life, she knew him making an appearance would push their connection to the forefront of all the tabloids, which wouldn’t help smooth things over with his father. “Now that you’re here? I think we’ve got it.”
“We brought boxes.” Cordray pointed to the stack of brown flattened packing materials he’d rested next to the front door. “Let’s get them out of here for good. What can I start packing?”
Ella hugged Cordray tight around the neck, feeling a kinship with the man who’d shared many a study session with her. “Thank you for being you. You’re the best twin brother I’ve ever had. Any of the bedrooms upstairs. Let’s pack everything up and get it in the SUV.”
“Furniture?”
“Lady Tremaine bought most of the furniture. Everything that’s upstairs came from her part of my father’s life insurance. It all goes.”
Remus strolled in through the front door as if he’d been invited over for tea, and wasn’t put off in the least that there was a cop car out front. “I believe you’ve done enough to clean up after these people. I’ll call a moving service to handle the rest. Do we have a forwarding address yet?”
Ella had been holding herself together just fine before she heard Remus’ voice. There was something about his calm demeanor that felt reassuring, even though there was danger all around. He was Superman, and it wasn’t until she saw his face that she realized how very much she’d wished for him to show up for her—his mere presence saving the day.
She’d promised herself that she would never cry in front of her stepfamily. When moisture started pricking her eyes, she ran in the other direction, tripping over the heap of shoes and crashing into the backdoor.
Remus was by her side in the next breath, his hand on the door to keep her from running. He didn’t say a word, but extended his arm to her, wrapping her tight in his embrace when she finally let too many tears fall onto his shoulder.
Remus combed his fingers through her curls. “Now, now. Did you really think I’d let my prized pupil face her greatest obstacle without me there to help? I adore you, my darling.”
Ella couldn’t find words, but the sorrow didn’t need them to articulate her brokenness that finally had a chance at healing. She gripped his dress shirt, knowing that Remus would allow her to call the shots. From now on, her life would be her own.
“I’m sure Rory and Cordray told you that Henry is at the end of your street, but I’ll tell you again. He should be here for this.”
Ella shook her head. “It’s already a big ordeal, me kicking out my stepfamily. The neighbors are out on the front lawn, even though it’s almost nighttime. It wouldn’t go over well if Henry was mixed up in my family drama. It would only make King Hubert hate me more.”
Remus closed his eyes and kissed her forehead. “I thought you might say that. It’s a noble thing you’re doing, but I hate it all the same.”
“Me too.”
“Henry’s here for you, as much as you’ll let him. I hope you know how very loved you are.”
She leaned up and kissed Remus’ cheek, shrinking when she heard Drizella’s gasp.
“That’s the money shot!” Drizella clicked a few more buttons, and just like that, Ella became the overnight scandal—a young vixen seducing the eternally elusive bachelor who was more than a decade her senior.
38
Remus’ Secret Lover
Ella felt sick to her stomach the next day when she awoke. Remus had assured her that the quickly-spreading rumors didn’t bother him in the least, but she had seen the worry in Rory’s eyes that mirrored her own. “It’ll blow over,” she assured Ella. “Believe me, we’ve all had worse.”
Though Ella had full reign of the house now, she was too overcome with anxiety to sleep anywhere but atop her mattress in the attic. When she finally stumbled down the steps at eight o’clock in the morning, she stopped short when she saw Remus sitting at her kitchen table with none other than Henry.
“What are you doing here?” she shrieked, and then bolted to the windows, confirming the blinds were shut. She yanked the curtains closed for a double layer of secrecy.
Remus motioned to the coffee drip contraption. “I can’t figure out your coffee maker. Why can’t people just leave well enough alone?”
“Oh, that was supposed to go with Lady Tremaine.”
Remus’ smile was devious. “I can drop it off. She’s staying with the Baron. Imagine his face when he sees me—the man who was caught in the act of seducing the delicate flower he tried to steal and crush. Oh, I’m going to enjoy this.”
Ella blanched. “But it’s not true! Henry, I wasn’t doing anything like that. You have to believe me. Remus is my friend, and nothing more. I’m just sick about the whole thing!”
Of all things, Henry chuckled. “I know, honey. I’m not worried about that. Remus is gay.”
Ella gasped. “You knew?”
Remus’ head snapped in her direction. “You knew?”
Ella shrank apologetically. “The wolves may have mentioned something about it. It’s your business, and I didn’t tell anyone.”
“Clearly. Henry’s known for years, and you didn’t even talk to him about your suspicions. You’re right that it is my business, and I thank you for your discretion. You’re a good friend and a spectacular secret lover, if I do say so myself.”
Ella blanched. “Stop it. I’m so embarrassed. I didn’t know Drizella was going to…”
Remus held up his hand. “Ella, it’s all fine, and just a taste of what you’ll get if things work out at the ball, and you two end up together.”
Ella narrowed her eyes at Henry. “By the way, we’re broken up. How’d you even get in here? I just had new locks put in last night.”
Henry shrugged. “I have my ways. And we’re not broken up. We’re on hold.”
“I fail to see the difference, or how either of those labels lands you in my house.” She caught herself in her wording and glanced around the empty k
itchen. She reached out and stroked the wall with wonder, feeling affection swell and a veil of peace descend upon her heart. “My house. It’s finally mine.”
Henry sighed as he studied her from head to toe. “It’s lovely. You look good. Like yourself. You never looked like yourself in this place, but now you do. I like it.”
Remus took a catalog from the messenger bag at his feet, and opened it on the table. “You’ll need plates, cups, a bedframe, a real mattress—no secret lover of mine is going to lie on a thin mattress on the floor. I simply won’t have it.”
Ella buried her face in her hands. “Please stop saying ‘secret lover.’ I’m barely holding it together, here. Have I said I was sorry?”
“Only a hundred times in the past minute. Let’s start with the kitchen. You need plates, cups and silverware. What else? She seems to have left you the pots and pans.”
Ella snorted. “She’s never used them before, so that’s not a huge surprise. I have enough stuff. My parents’ things are in my storage unit downtown. I couldn’t stomach them eating off my mother’s china, so I had it all stored away.”
“A bedframe?”
“I can sleep on the floor until I get a job and save up for it.”
Henry took in her defiant expression with a delicate gracefulness to his tone. “There’s a bed for you at Remus’.”
Ella kept several feet of distance between them, knowing if she got too close, she would fall into the abyss of his blue eyes. “Hopefully some handsome prince will keep it warm for me.”
Henry looked as if he hadn’t slept all night, his eyes puffy and his hair mussed. Still, he was the picture of perfection, his charming features making every facial twitch a treat for her to watch. “I’m having lunch with my father today. If all goes well, you’ll be back in my arms tonight.”
Ella wasn’t as hopeful, but she didn’t dare crush his dreams. She figured it was good that at least one of them had remained an optimist.
“You need security, and more than the system Adam’s company partially installed, and will finish putting up later today. Other than the fact that everyone will want to interview my secret lover,” Remus paused for Ella’s groan, “Lady Tremaine already told the Baron about what you can do. Though, she only knows about your Listening, which is truly the lesser culprits for potential security breaches. The Baron’s called an emergency council meeting tonight.”
“Already?” Ella touched her forehead, then her chest, then her forehead again. “I haven’t even… I’ve had one night of freedom!”
Remus tilted his head to the side, reaching out to hold her hand. The moment her palm slid into his, he placed a kiss to the back of her hand. “And you’ll have many more, but things are going to be rocky for a while, as you knew they would be. While we’re waiting to see how it all settles, let’s take preemptive measures by increasing your security.”
Ella’s stomach responded by rumbling for breakfast.
As if on cue, Henry stood and moved to the fridge, taking out a carton of strawberries. He smiled at the fruit. “The first time I met you, there were strawberries. Your first morning of freedom, here they are again. I think strawberries are a good omen, blue eyes.” He washed them off and handed her the carton, resisting the urge to feed her just to watch her lips close around the fruit.
“Thank you. You don’t have to wait on me.”
His eyes met hers with the note of a promise. “You don’t have to go hungry anymore.”
Ella wanted to lean into Henry’s shoulder, but knew she couldn’t touch him or she’d never be able to let go. She took the berries and ate without pause. “I can’t afford private security, and I don’t want you paying for it. I need to get a job. That’s the first thing on the list.”
Henry opened his mouth to argue, but Remus held up his hand. “I did the same for Cordray when he first got back from his abduction. Whenever there’s someone in my circle who’s about to be thrown to the wolves, I’m afraid I can’t help myself. Besides, you’re my secret lover. What sort of gentleman would I be if I didn’t look out for you?”
Ella exhaled through her nose, wondering how to get around Remus’ logic. “I really wish you’d stop calling me that.”
“Very well. Then should I call you my student?” He shivered. “Oh, that’s even more tawdry. The teacher who seduced the young, impressionable student. I feel like I should call the papers and start suggesting headlines for them.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
Remus’ voice took on a more serious edge. “You’ll still come around for tutoring, won’t you?”
Ella shifted as she ate, and then something pinged in the back of her mind. “After the commotion dies down about us, sure. I like our lessons.”
“Good. I look forward to them as well.”
Ella put down the berries and moved to the front closet, laughing with delight when she found Anastasia’s old pair of snow boots on the top shelf. “Perfect! She always hated these things.”
“Where are you going?” Henry asked, following her into the foyer.
Ella beamed at him, latching onto the idea that was only half-formed in her mind. “To find myself some security.”
39
Ella’s New Job
Working at the grocery store in town was a breath of fresh air for Ella. It had taken her exactly two days to find a job. When word spread that she was Remus Johnstone’s secret lover, everyone wanted to hire her, just for the simple fact that wherever she went, people clambered to talk to her. Her instant celebrity was a boon to any business.
Her best patient smile lasted through each eight-hour shift, though by the end, she was tired of answering the same questions.
“Are you really Ella?”
“Yes, ma’am. Did you want to get two of these? They’re buy-one-get-one-free.”
“So, what’s he like? Remus Johnstone is so sexy!”
“He’s my tutor. He’s professional and private, so I don’t think he’d appreciate us talking about him like this. Your total is forty-two seventy-five.”
“Is it true you can send out your Listening Pulse? Like, are you doing it right now?”
“How did you want to pay for your groceries today?”
Over and over the conversation went. Ella soon became the fastest cashier because she wanted to get each customer out of her lane as quick as she possibly could.
She couldn’t believe anyone was talking about anything other than Adam Fontaine’s curse being lifted. He’d escaped transitioning to a Lupine, yet people were still desperate to gawk at Ella and the new twist of magic she was responsible for introducing to the world.
Rory made sure to keep Ella in the loop via an animated phone call every night. Apparently, things were progressing quite quickly with Belle and Adam. Every magazine in her checkout lane featured a cover that was split into two halves of Adam’s face: Adam’s beast-like cursed countenance on the left, and the cured version of Avondale’s second-most eligible bachelor on the right. Though Ella only had eyes for Henry, she had to admit that Adam losing his good looks must’ve been a hard pill to swallow. Most of the human race didn’t have quite so far to fall.
Ella wanted so desperately to call Henry and see how he was dealing with it all. She wished to offer any help she could, but she remained firm in her stance that Henry should put the kingdom first. Only if King Hubert gave his blessing would they have a chance at being together again. So much was riding on the ball. She knew Henry would be waiting for her to show up so he could properly introduce her to his father. She had to make a good impression. She had to convince the king that she could be good for his son.
For all the victories she’d found in her new freedom, the utter loneliness felt like a loss.
Most businesses closed down the evening of the royal ball, and the grocer’s was no exception. Ella’s nerves were starting to peak but she kept her focus clear in her mind. No matter what, she would say her piece to the king. He didn’t have to like her, but he did ha
ve to meet her, since she was an eligible woman in the kingdom. Most of the women would use their time to flirt or talk about their achievements. Ella had only one topic she was burning to discuss.
After her drive home, Ella was welcomed by the quiet, which meant her security detail was out. She rolled back her shoulders, smiling that she had found a way to keep herself safe without taking yet more help from Remus and Henry.
Ella thumbed through the clothes Remus had dropped off from Rory, each garment lovelier than the last. It was when her hands alighted on the gown bag that her heart threatened to explode out of her chest. Everyone would be on their way to the ball already, so Ella made quick work of showering, pinning up her hair as best she could, and slipping on the ice blue dress Remus had bought her. Her fingers trembled as they ghosted over the material. It was the lightest of blue in shadow, but in full light, the gown looked almost matrimonial. She debated turning it pink with a few brushes of her palms, but paused, giving herself an honest look in the mirror.
She clasped her hands in front of her, and then realized she didn’t have to imagine a bouquet. She tugged a stem from the vase on the table. It was the one concession she couldn’t turn away. Henry gave her all the space she demanded was necessary, except for the bouquet of flowers that were sent to her house every third day. With each bouquet there was a card that read, “Always and only,” and it melted her every time.
Studying herself in the mirror, Ella realized how very much like a bride she looked in the dress. She pictured her father standing at her side, walking her down the aisle toward the man she was certain he would approve of. She had done her best to be courageous enough to be kind, as he’d instructed. She only wished her father could see her so self-possessed, finally standing with her head held high.
Ella donned her fitted wool coat and moved out into the chilly garage, the rickety clinking of the doublewide door sounding in the background as she slid in to start her old red sedan. The rusty thing gave a few honest coughs, but Ella’s heart sank when it refused to turn over. She sighed and popped the hood, worrying that she might get the beautiful gown dirty – a thing she’d never had to concern herself with before.
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