Slowly, she nodded. “Yes. My heart was breaking, knowing I had to give that to him.”
She searched Chris’s eyes for a hint of what he must be feeling right now. When his facial features relaxed and a smile touched his lips, she breathed a relieved sigh. He didn’t hate her after all!
“That can’t be!” Fomazz screamed. “Nobody has ever been able to take my magic away.”
Darby chuckled. “Then I feel very privileged to have done it.” He turned and wobbled toward Ella. “Would you like Chris to escort you back to the estate?”
Although she was happy to be back in Chris’s company, she still knew nothing had changed from before. Rodmilla would still run Ella’s life no matter what.
She shrugged. “I suppose I should return. My stepmother is probably wondering what has happened to me.”
When she took her first step, she prepared for her bare foot for the pain of stepping on sticks and sharp stones. However, what she felt was something entirely different. It felt as if she was wearing...her shoes.
She lifted the skirt of her gown just enough to see her feet. Gasping, she shook her head. She was wearing the glass slippers! Immediately, she reached to her neck. Her fingertips brushed against the locket her father had given her.
“Oh, Chris,” she said with a sob. “Look. It’s back.”
He smiled fully. “That’s wonderful.”
Emotion filled her heart and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself next to him. A breath caught in his throat and his body stiffened, but within seconds, he wrapped his arms around her.
Softly, she cried against his chest. Being in his embrace soothed her. If only she could be with him like this forever. Unfortunately, Rodmilla was still in Ella’s life, and for certain, wouldn’t allow Chris to be here.
She lifted her head and looked up into his eyes. “Chris, I wish we could be together, but we can’t.”
“Why not?” He swept his fingers across her wet cheek.
“Because Rodmilla wants to control me. I have no other choice or she will harm Billy.”
Darby waddled up to Ella and tapped her on the shoulder. “Miss Ella?” He shook his head. “You are still under a protection spell. Your evil stepmother won’t be able to touch you.” He giggled. “Look what happened with Fomazz. I can’t wait to see what will happen with her when she tries to do something mean to you.”
Dan chuckled as he joined them. He clapped his hand over Chris’s shoulder. “What do you say, little brother? Should we take her back to her stepmother?”
Chris continued to stroke Ella’s cheek. Warmth flowed through her—just as it had always done whenever he touched her. “What do you say, my darling Ella?”
She nodded and grinned. “For the first time in my life, I can’t wait to confront her.” She motioned her head toward the house. “Lead the way, my love.”
CHRIS HAD TO BE DREAMING all of this. The woman he walked into the grand party with was definitely not the one who danced with him. And yet, she was certainly the woman he fell in love with. His brother must have been correct when assuming Ella had said those things to Chris because she was trying to protect him. He didn’t think it possible, but his love for her grew that much stronger.
When they entered the party, something was definitely amiss. First off, many people were arguing in loud voices. Some looked very upset and were gathering their wraps and cloaks to leave. Everything was in chaos.
Chris looked at Ella, who stood frozen as she watched the crowd. He leaned in toward her ear and whispered, “What do you think is going on?”
She shrugged. “I wish I knew.”
She latched onto Farley’s arm as he walked by. “What is wrong with everyone?”
“I don’t know, Miss Ella.” His eyes were wide with fright. “Everything was going along smoothly, and about ten minutes ago, all of a sudden, the atmosphere was different. First, it was Mr. Kingston. He looked at Lady Spencer as if she’d grown two heads. Suddenly, he started accusing her of brainwashing him. Then he yelled at her for treating you and Master Billy badly.” He swept his hand toward the crowd. “The next thing I knew, everyone started arguing.”
“What were they arguing about?” Chris wondered.
“There were too many voices to tell for certain, but most of them were blaming Lady Spencer for doing despicable things.”
Ella chuckled and then quickly placed a hand on her mouth. Her eyes twinkled with mirth.
“Was that all?” Chris asked.
“Lady Spencer tried to calm everyone, but when that didn’t work, she started shouting for you, Miss Ella. And that was when...” He lifted his arms skyward. “Oh, Heavens. Everyone was suddenly angry with her. It frightened her and she dashed up the stairs toward her bedchambers.”
Ella turned and met Chris’s stare. “What do you think that means?” she asked.
“I wish I knew, but I’m starting to think it means she can no longer control anyone. People are finally seeing her for the evil person she is.” He caressed her hand. “But whatever it is, I think she is failing...and you are winning.”
Just then, the guests at the party came up to her, one-by-one, and offered their assistance and love. They were happy to see her home, and they assured her that her stepmother would never bother her and Billy again.
It took a good half hour for everyone to hug Ella and leave. Finally, when Chris and Ella were left standing with the servants, she breathed a heavy sigh.
“Is this really happening?” she asked.
“It does seem surreal, doesn’t it?”
She nodded. “Yes, but it’s given me the courage I needed to face that woman and stand up for the kind of life I want. In fact, if she were here right now—”
“I’m right here, Ella.”
The grating voice of an angry woman startled Chris. At the same time, he and Ella swung around and faced the woman coming down the stairs. Stress had taken a toll on her appearance. Her black hair was askew and the black liner around her eyes was smudged. Chris didn’t recall the deep wrinkles that etched her face when he studied her through the window. She had aged years in a few short minutes, and not attractively.
Ella squared her shoulders and stepped away from Chris. He was proud of the way she held her own as she moved closer to the other woman.
“Rodmilla, I want you out of my house. Immediately!”
The older woman chuckled and shook her head. “I don’t know what has happened to everybody. Suddenly, they are looking at me as if I’m a bad person.”
“You are a bad person!” Ella’s words snapped through the room like a whip. “And I won’t have it any longer. I will live my life the way I want...not the way you think I should.”
When Rodmilla reached the bottom step, she folded her arms. “You are forgetting one thing, Ella.”
“What is that?”
“None of this belongs to you until you turn twenty-five. So legally, I’m still your guardian until that time, which means, this is still my home.”
Chris grumbled, fisting his hands by his sides. There needs to be another way. He wasn’t sure how much longer until Ella’s birthday, but even one day living with this creature would make anyone miserable.
Ella shrugged one shoulder. “Fine, then. I shall return to my other home until my twenty-fifth birthday. On that day, I’ll return and claim what’s mine.”
Rodmilla shook her head. “That’s not going to work, either. As I said before, I’m still your guardian, and as your guardian, I say you’re not going anywhere.”
Chris’s gut twisted. This woman was impossible! And why wasn’t the protection spell doing anything? Lady Spencer was breaking Ella’s heart, he just knew it. So how was the woman allowed to do this?
Ella growled and shook her head. “No! I won’t let you do this to me.”
An evil laugh came from the older woman. “You have no other choice.”
“There’s got to be a way...something,” Ella said with helplessness in her v
oice.
“There’s not!”
“Actually, there is a way.” A portly, middle-aged man with thinning brown hair stepped out of a side room, carrying a black, leather satchel.
“Mr. Woods?” Ella strode toward him. “I haven’t seen you since my father’s funeral.” She reached out her hand and clasped it with the man. “What are you doing here?”
“I came because I knew you’d be here, and we have some papers to sign so that on your birthday, you can inherit all of this, and more.”
Excitement shot through Chris. This was a man who knew the legal aspect of the law.
“Mr. Woods,” Chris said, moving toward the man. “Is there truly a way for Ella to rid herself of her stepmother’s control?”
“Indeed there is.” Mr. Woods smiled.
“Liar!” Rodmilla marched toward the lawyer, pointing her finger at him. “Leave this house now, or I’ll have my servants throw you out.”
Ella bit her bottom lip as she struggled not to grin. “Rodmilla, I think you have forgotten that they don’t like you very well right now. I think they will do as I ask them, and not you.”
Rodmilla threw heated glares at Ella. Chris shook his head. If looks could burn, poor Ella would be charcoal. Thankfully, nothing was fazing Ella now. She rolled her eyes and put her attention back on the lawyer.
“As you were saying?” Ella encouraged him to continue.
“Well, there is a way for you to take over even though you haven’t turned twenty-five yet. However,” Mr. Woods met Chris’s stare, “that will also depend on how much your friend here is willing to help you.”
Chris arched an eyebrow. “Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“How can I help?” Chris moved and stood beside Ella, sliding an arm around her waist.
A slow smile spread across the lawyer’s face at Chris’s show of protectiveness toward Ella. “If she marries before the age of twenty-five, she will inherit everything.”
Marry? Chris’s heartbeat hammered. At first the idea of marriage scared him, but then he looked into Ella’s soft eyes that twinkled with happiness. Perhaps marriage to this beautiful woman wouldn’t be so bad after all.
She placed her hand on Chris’s chest and smiled. “Well, what do you say? Do you love me enough to marry me, and save me from this wicked woman and a life of torture?”
Laughing, Chris gathered her in his arms and kissed her forehead. “I’d marry you in a heartbeat even if you didn’t have a wicked stepmother that wanted to force you to live a life of torture, and,” he winked, “even if you were as poor as a church mouse.”
She squealed and threw her arms around his neck, planting a kiss on his lips. Although, he knew this wasn’t the time to express his love to her—in front of others—he couldn’t stop from participating fully in the kiss. Love burst inside his chest, and he still felt as if he were floating on a cloud of dreams. But as long as he had Ella beside him, he didn’t mind the feeling.
The high-pitched scream from Rodmilla rent the room. Both Chris and Ella looked to see what all of the commotion was about. The older woman had collapsed on the ground, hugging her arms around her waist and rocking back and forth.
Ella rolled her eyes and turned her head toward the lawyer? “Mr. Woods? How soon can I marry this perfect man?”
EPILOGUE
Never in her life had Ella been this happy. True, she was happy when her father was alive, but it was never this delirious kind of happiness. Marriage to Chris Morgan was the best thing she had ever accomplished.
They hadn’t been married a full week and yet her life was completely different. Mr. Woods had married them that very night of the party, and Ella had kicked Rodmilla out of the house. Chris and the servants were more than happy to pack the woman’s things and throw them out with her.
Sighing heavily, Ella scooted closer to Chris as she rested her head against his strong arm. They’d been riding in the carriage for two days on their way toward Pipria. She and her husband decided they would make their home in her father’s estate, but there were still loose ends that needed to be tied together in Pipria. Mainly getting her brother.
She studied her new husband through veiled lashes. He was such a handsome man. She rather liked him with a day’s growth of facial hair on his handsome face. The shadow was as dark as his hair. Beautiful.
His head leaned back against the wall of the carriage, his eyes closed. She couldn’t believe he fell in love with her, even as rotten as she’d acted when they first met. Thankfully, they had grown close and fallen in love at the same time.
“What are you looking at, my lovely wife?” he asked without opening his eyes.
“I’m admiring my very handsome husband.”
Grinning, he opened his eyes and looked at her. “Why?”
“Because I can.”
He laughed. “And I invite you to admire me any time you wish, my love.” He bent and captured her mouth with his. She responded, eager to show her affection to him now, and happy to feel the rush of excitement that flowed through her every time.
“Hmm...” She pulled away, smiling. “I will never get tired of kissing you, my gorgeous husband.”
“And I shall never get tired of giving you kisses.” He winked.
“So tell me, are you going to miss your students when we return to Caittea?”
His smile disappeared. “Yes. I enjoyed being their teacher. Some days were harder than others, but overall, teaching them made me feel good about myself—as though I accomplished something great.”
“You do know you won’t have to work now, don’t you?”
He shrugged. “Yes, but what if I want to work, anyway?”
She straightened and linked her fingers with his. “Being a teacher or something else?”
“What else would I be? The only thing I know is teaching.”
“Well, you could run my shipping business.”
His eyes widened. “Your shipping business?”
She laughed. “Yes. Believe it or not, I was able to buy stocks with the money I’d taken from Rodmilla when I left two years ago, and within a few months, I was suddenly owner of the company. Of course, I didn’t tell anyone. They wouldn’t have taken orders from a woman, anyway. I let them think my father owned it and he was—”
“Away on business?” Chris arched an eyebrow.
“Yes.” She sighed again. “I suppose I don’t have to use that lie any longer, do I?”
“No. However, you could say your father gave the company to your new husband.” He winked.
“So you won’t mind running it?”
“Is the company here in Pipria?”
“Yes, but we can extend it to our new kingdom, as well.”
“How could I be in charge of both?”
“Easy.” She flipped her hand in the air. “Mr. Prescott oversees things in this office, so all you need to do is make him in charge and keep tabs on him every few months. It shouldn’t be hard at all.” She stroked his muscular arm. “So what do you say? Would you like to do that? I could teach you all I know.”
He turned and cupped her face with his large hands. “My darling, I would do anything as long as you’re beside me.”
He kissed her again, but only briefly this time before pulling back. “Now that we have that settled,” he said, “what do you think Billy is going to say about his teacher marrying his sister?”
“Actually, I think he’ll approve. He needs a father figure desperately, and you fill those shoes perfectly.”
He laughed. “Sweet talking will get you anywhere, my love.”
“I’m being honest,” she said. “You do like Billy, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Then you won’t mind doing things with him—like a father?”
“No, not at all.” He caressed her cheek. “I’ll do anything to make my lovely wife happy.”
“You already are.” She took his hand and kissed his palm.
“Sometimes I have to pinch m
yself, because I still can’t believe this is real. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined finding a wife as wonderful and loving as you.”
“It took me awhile of struggling with it, myself. I never thought I’d win and Rodmilla would lose.” She laughed. “But I find it amazing how Darby was able to break so many spells just by placing a protection spell on me.”
“It shocked me, too.” Chris smiled. “I think it surprised Darby, as well. In fact, he hadn’t realized that putting that spell on you would actually remove Fomazz’s magic.”
“Or, make the spell that had been on Rodmilla disappear?”
“Exactly.” He nodded. “We’d always known something to go wrong with Darby’s spells, but in this case, the things that went wrong ended up being right.”
“Make sure it doesn’t go to his head.”
“Too late.” Chris laughed.
“I’m glad he decided to stay with his grandfather and take care of him.” She toyed with the buttons on her jacket. “But I suppose it was to teach the old man how to be good.”
“Indeed, that was the reason. Not to mention, he’s Darby’s only family.”
She lifted her eyes and rested them on her husband’s handsome face. “What happened to your brother?”
Chris chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Daniel really enjoys his new profession, so he’ll remain a tracker for missing people.”
“Well, he is good at it.”
“Yes, he is, considering he found you...and me.”
Ella traced her fingers along the collar of Chris’s jacket. “But Robert found me, too.”
“No, my love. Robert was under a spell, remember? The spell led him to you.”
“I really hate that man.”
He patted her leg. “It’s over now, thank goodness, and we are together at last.”
Smiling, she leaned her head back on his shoulder. “You know, on those days when I became discouraged, thinking nothing would go right, I had to remind myself to keep on believing, and that eventually, the dream of my heart would come true.”
Using his finger, he tilted her chin so she could meet his gaze. “And has it come true?”
Keep on Believing Page 17