“I wish you to take us to Ella,” he repeated, this time actually talking to the stick.
Within a split second, the stick sprang to life once more. Darby gasped and shook his head.
“I don’t believe it,” he muttered in a high-pitched voice.
Chris blinked with wide eyes. “Neither do I. The thing flies...and listens to me.”
“It’s not just that.” Darby shook his head. “Ella’s last name isn’t Parker.”
“Pardon?” Chris jerked his focus to his friend. “What are you saying?”
Darby pointed to the stick. “When I instructed it to take us to Miss Parker, it did nothing, but when you asked it to take us to Ella, it came alive.” Darby’s wide eyes met Chris’s. “That tells me Miss Parker is not her correct name.” He scratched behind his ear. “I think she isn’t being completely honest with you about who she really is.”
Chris hesitated to argue. After all, he had suspected she was keeping secrets from him. However, now was not the time to analyze his doubts. He had a woman to rescue!
“Darby, how can I control the stick so it can take me to her?”
“You can’t.” He shook his head. “Only I have the magic to control it.”
Chris grimaced. “But Darby, you can’t ride a horse for very long.”
“But I shall do it this time.” He lifted his chin stubbornly. “I shall overcome my obstacles so that I can assist you in finding your true love.”
Chris’s mind paused. My true love? Did he really have those kinds of feelings for her? He did like her and care about her. But...love?
“Tell me now, man. Can you ride a horse or not? I don’t know how far that stick will guide us.”
“Yes, I can ride.”
“Then let’s go. The more time we waste, the more danger she’ll be in.”
“Indeed, she’s in danger.” Darby swept a hand through the air. “But fear not, I shall not hold you back.”
“We’ll be going fast,” Chris said over his shoulder as he strode out the front door.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Darby smiled wide. “But...what about your students?”
“I’ve already sent a note to the superintendent, asking for a replacement for a little while.”
“How long do you think it will take to find her?”
Chris shrugged. “Hopefully, not too long.”
“Well, to speed things up, I shall put a spell on our horses to make them ride like the wind.”
“No!” Chris stopped suddenly, making Darby bump into him. Chris held up his hand. “Putting a spell on the horses might not be a good idea. Knowing your spells, we will ride like the wind, and in doing so, somebody is going to get injured. Either us or our horses.”
Darby paused in thought as he nibbled on his fingernail. Finally, he nodded. “You are right, of course. But I feel as though I should put some kind of spell on the horses.”
“If you must put a spell on them, have the spell be that the animals will not get tired and will be able to take us there and back.”
Excitement danced in Darby’s eyes. “That’s exactly what I’ll do.” He motioned his hand toward the horses. “Quickly mount and then I’ll put the spell on them.”
Chris hurried out to his horse and mounted. Darby struggled, but eventually sat atop his horse. Closing his eyes, Darby began to chant, waving his hands through the air.
Chris gritted his teeth, praying this would be one of the few times the spell worked. As seconds flew by, Chris held his breath. The words Darby chanted were very odd. Had he really said flibbity-fobbity-floo? What did that mean, anyway?
When Darby finished, Chris slowly released his breath and looked around. Everything remained the same.
He nodded. “I think it worked.”
“I think it did, too.”
Chris shrugged. “At least we didn’t turn into pumpkins. That’s a good sign, isn’t it?”
Darby laughed. “It’s a wonderful sign!” He tossed the stick in the air and commanded, “Take us to Ella.”
Just as before, the stick started flying, but faster this time. Chris urged his horse to follow the magic stick. This had to work! The only other options would take too long.
Yet, the more he thought about what secrets Ella could be hiding from him, his gut twisted with uncertainty. Memories resurfaced of the heartache he’d suffered because of Rosanna’s rejection. He didn’t want to go through that again. With any luck, he wouldn’t have to. And yet...doubt still lingered, churning his stomach.
FOURTEEN
“We are going to have a ball. A masked ball in celebration of Miss Ella’s return!”
Rodmilla eyed the senior servants as they stood before her in the spacious hall, awaiting her instructions.
Tears gathered in Mrs. Tippins’ eyes. The short, round, cook had been close to Ella and Billy before Rodmilla had taken over the house.
Rodmilla wanted to slap the older woman. None of the servants appeared overjoyed when she did something. And yet, they teared up when hearing Ella was returning. One of these days she’d make Ella appear like the villain she was in everyone’s eyes. Everyone’s!
“I want a buffet that evening with a large selection of food,” Rodmilla snapped. “Is that clear or do I need to write it down for you?”
The forlorn expression on the cook’s face disappeared and was replaced with one of malice. “That is clear, milady.”
Rodmilla moved her attention to Farley. “I want you to let the other men know I want the grounds perfect.” She narrowed her gaze on the mousy man. “And you all know how I expect my estate to look.”
He nodded frantically. “Yes, milady. You want it better than even the king’s grounds.”
“Precisely.” She turned to Mrs. Hunting, the housekeeper. “And let the other maids know I want the grand room to be decorated with ribbons and roses. Purple and red roses. All the furniture needs to be moved out of that room except for the single chairs.” She forced a laugh. “After all, where else are people going to sit?”
“I shall see to it,” the housekeeper answered. “Might I ask, milady, how soon Miss Ella and Master Billy will be here?”
“Why?” Rodmilla snapped.
“Um, well...” She cleared her throat. “We should have their rooms ready for when they return.”
“I’m not quite certain what day they’ll arrive, so instruct the maids to get their rooms ready posthaste. Then they will have more time to help decorate the grand room for the party.”
“Yes, milady.” The housekeeper turned to leave with Farley and the cook following.
According to Fomazz, who had told her he’d seen a vision—although she really didn’t think that’s what he saw. She believed the old man had received a premonition, instead. But he claimed Ella was on her way home. Once she’d heard the news, she decided to have a grand occasion for the girl’s homecoming.
But the event was more than a celebration.
Lately, Fernand had been acting as if he was second-guessing their engagement. Rodmilla fisted her hands at her sides and snarled. She would not have that. She wouldn’t allow anyone to ruin her special day. So, in order to ease his worries about what a good stepmother she was, she decided to have a ball. She would appear to be the perfect host...and mother to Ella and her rotten brother.
She’d keep up this farce until...after the marriage, anyway.
All the planning she’d done so far today had made her extremely tired, and she decided to retire for the night. As she made her way up the stairs to her bedchambers, her weakened legs wobbled, and even her arms refused to work properly. What she needed was to relax in a hot bath. Yet, she didn’t have the strength to climb in and out. She hoped there was at least a fire burning in the hearth. If not, her maid would be punished severely.
When she entered her room, the warm air touched her face, and soothed her slightly. She wouldn’t be totally relaxed until Ella was home. Fomazz hadn’t mentioned if Billy was coming, but all Rod
milla cared about was Ella, anyway. That girl could pay for her sins as well as her brother’s.
As Rodmilla swung her gaze around her room, something caught her eye by the fireplace. Sitting in her comfortable cushioned chair was...Fomazz. She gritted her teeth, making sure not to say anything rude to the wizard. She hated that she relied on him, and she hoped one day she could rectify that problem. He didn’t like to be seen in public, but she wished he would at least contact her in the daylight. And when she wasn’t so blasted tired.
“What are you doing here?” She tried not to let her voice sound too irritated, but as tired as she was, she was sure he could hear it, anyway.
“I have realized something.” He patted the box on his lap. “I still want Ella’s locket, but I also think it’s important for you to give these to her before the masked ball.”
Hesitantly, she took the box from him and lifted the lid. Not sure she was seeing correctly, she blinked her eyes. But when her vision focused again, the object was just as she’d thought. “Glass slippers?”
“Yes. Many years ago, I gave these to Ella’s grandmother—along with the locket—but I was able to get the slippers back.”
Rodmilla shook her head. “I don’t understand. Why do you want to give these to her?”
His expression turned menacing as he glared at her. She hitched a breath. Upsetting a wizard was not a good thing at all.
“That is my business. You just make certain Ella is wearing these the night of the ball...and that she is also wearing her locket.”
Rodmilla flipped her hand. “I’m sure she’ll be wearing the necklace. She never took that thing off as long as I knew her.”
Sitting back in the cushioned chair, he grinned. The evilness about him was evident. She relished the emotions. Her darkest desire was to be taught how to do magic. She’d love nothing more than to be in control of others and have them bend at her every whim whenever she snapped her fingers.
“Yes,” he sighed. “I have a feeling everything will work out to my satisfaction. In my last vision, I could feel that Ella’s heart had recently been broken. This will for certain work to my advantage when I create the special potion.”
Rodmilla really didn’t care about his needs, but as long as everything went her way, she’d be happy. Most especially, she looked forward to punishing that girl. Ella Spencer would rue the day she ever double-crossed Rodmilla.
CHRIS STRETCHED HIS achy arms above his head. Although the horses were not tired, riding for so long took a lot out of his body. He could tell Darby was feeling stiff and sore, as well.
Night had come upon them faster than he’d wanted, but he realized they had to stop and make a small campfire. Unfortunately, it was too dark to travel. If only there had been a full moon, perhaps they could push their travel plans, but with only a quarter moon and a cloudy night, it was nearly impossible to see.
As Darby prepared the fire, Chris took his rifle and hunted down their dinner. Thankfully, he was able to catch a jackrabbit. Although the meat was tough, it was still edible and filled his belly efficiently.
Within an hour, both men had eaten and were laying on their bedrolls. As Chris stared into the sky, his thoughts were on Ella. Of course, where else would they be? He wasn’t willing to think of anything but finding her. He didn’t want to imagine what would happen if they couldn’t find her.
She’d been a secretive woman since they met, and he couldn’t stop wondering what was in her past that he didn’t know. Obviously, she had a former beau. Yet, would she have kissed Chris so passionately if she was in love with this other man? Would she have agreed to go on a picnic with him otherwise? He hoped not.
Falling in love with someone like her hadn’t been on his mind at the time, but now... He was definitely falling. Hard. Yet, if she was still hung up on this other man, Chris wouldn’t be able to compete. Besides, what were the odds that this other man was poorer than a schoolteacher? Zero to none.
The area around their camp was quiet. Too quiet. He frowned. Why couldn’t he hear crickets or frogs by the nearby pond, or even a lizard as it scurried on the ground?
Slowly, he turned his head resting on the rolled up blanket, and scoped out the area—as much of it as he could, anyway. The low burning fire didn’t give off much light now, so he couldn’t see much.
Not far from their little camp was a group of trees. He studied the shadows, but it was too dark to tell if anyone was hiding behind a tree watching them. Goose bumps rose on his arms and shivers slid down his back. Indeed, someone was watching them!
“Can you feel it?” Darby asked quietly. “The atmosphere around us has shifted.”
“I think someone is close by,” Chris answered in a low voice. He moved his hands, placing one on his pistol and the other on the rifle lying beside him.
Several minutes passed with the only sound being Chris’s quick breathing. It’s been a while since he had to be so alert because he feared for his life. Not since he and Darby were in the orphanage had Chris been this afraid. Yet, his instincts returned as if he was sixteen years old again, and he was ready to defend himself against anything.
He reminded himself how he’d mastered the pistol in only a year. He had no need to worry.
From inside the group of trees, a branch snapped. His heartbeat sped faster. Gripping the pistol tighter, he prepared himself. Darby released a small squeak. Chris wanted to scold him and tell him to be quiet, but instead, he said nothing.
It wasn’t until he heard footsteps sneaking their way when he decided to make his move. Snapping to a sitting position, he pointed his weapon toward the footsteps. His eyes adjusted and through the shadows, he saw a man’s form.
“Don’t move or I’ll shoot,” Chris warned.
The man slowly raised his hands. “I’m not here to hurt you.”
“Then why are you here?”
“I’ve been following you, and—”
“You’ve followed us?” Chris lifted his voice as anger shot through him. “But you don’t intend to harm us? Why is that hard to believe, I wonder?”
“Please,” the man’s deep voice spoke slowly, “let me explain first.”
Chris motioned his pistol. “Come closer to the fire so we can see you.”
The man did as instructed until he stood by the fire. Prickles shot up Chris’s arms again. This man was dressed as an outlaw in dark clothes and a hat—he even had a bandana tied around his neck. The man was tall and broad shouldered. Perhaps even taller than Chris and larger built, too. Thankfully, there were no weapons in his hands.
“Start explaining,” Chris said.
“I know you’re not going to believe this, but...Chris, it’s me. Your brother, Dan.”
Shock hit him like a tidal wave, threatening to pull him under. My brother? For years he’d considered his family dead and hoped to never see them again. So to have his brother in front of him...Chris didn’t know what to say. Words escaped him.
“I know you’re surprised to see me after all this time,” Dan continued, “but I promise I’m not here to hurt either of you.”
Chris finally found something to say. “How did you find me?”
“Purely by accident. You see,” he stepped closer, “I was hired to find your lady friend. That is when I noticed she was with a man who looked a lot like me. When I heard Ella Spencer call you by your name, I knew you were my long, lost brother.”
Chris shook his head. He refused to believe she had lied to him about everything concerning her identity. Then again, he and Darby had suspected she was not using her true last name when the stick wouldn’t work. “Spencer? No, you are mistaken. Her name is Ella Parker.”
“No, Chris. It’s Spencer. She didn’t want anyone to know her true identity. Her stepmother hired me to bring Ella back home.”
Darby leaned toward Chris and whispered, “I told you her last name wasn’t Parker.”
True. Darby had told him, but he didn’t have time to discuss that issue with his friend. Not
when so many unanswered questions swam in his head as he stared at his brother. “Why did her stepmother want her to come home?”
“I don’t ask questions. I take the money and do what I’m told.” Dan folded his arms. “However, in this case, I made an exception because the story the stepmother told me just didn’t add up. Rodmilla said Ella and her brother had gone to their grandmother’s house not long after her father died. I found it odd, so I started asking around, and I discovered the grandmother had died a while back. Rodmilla knew it. When I found Ella and Billy were here, I noticed her with you one day. That’s when I decided to watch you for a while. I wanted to know if you had feelings for this young woman.”
“So, you didn’t take Ella?” Chris wondered.
“No. Another man from her kingdom did. His name is Robert.”
Chris nodded. “A former beau.”
“I fear Robert was also hired by Rodmilla, and that worries me.”
Chris frowned. “Why?”
“Because Rodmilla Spencer is evil. I’ve heard rumors about this lady, and it’s no wonder Miss Spencer and her brother left. I wouldn’t want to live with a woman like that, either.”
Chris rose to his feet and walked toward his brother. “So, why are you here?”
“Because I want to help you.”
Releasing an irritated laugh, Chris shook his head. “When we were boys, you never wanted to help me—or do anything with me. You were happy enough to go off with our father and learn how to steal rich people’s money.”
“True, but over the past few years, I’ve seen the error in my ways. That’s why I’ve become a tracker. This way I can take money from rich people without it being a crime.”
Chris rolled his eyes. He figured his brother still had that frame of mind. But Chris didn’t care. All he worried about was finding Ella. “You want to help us find Ella, then?”
Dan nodded. “I know where Robert is taking her. They are ahead of us by several hours, but I think we can catch up. Believe me, she doesn’t want to return to her deceased father’s estate, especially since her evil stepmother is still living there.”
Keep on Believing Page 13