Cinderella's Dress

by Shonna Slayton

  Fyodora spoke to Adalbert. “I’ll make sure my picture is taken near the window and make it known to the papers I have come to reclaim the dresses. The Burgosovs won’t come after you or the girl.” She looked off into the distance. “One day, they will end this feud and leave us alone.”

  Fyodora signaled to her chauffeur standing ready. “My car. Let me drop you home.”

  Kate realized she hadn’t seen her mother or Josie come out after the fashion show. “I should go home with my mom and friend. They were working at the benefit tonight.”

  “We will see you tomorrow, then.”

  Chapter Forty-one

  Kate and Josie stood on the sidewalk in front of their apartment building, excitedly waiting for Nessa. She said she would send a car around for them so they could help her shop.

  “She’s a real princess?” asked Josie, craning her neck, looking for a fancy car.

  “Yes, but her family doesn’t have a kingdom anymore. They were overthrown way before she was born, and the boundaries of their land changed.”

  “And she said it’s okay if I come with you?”

  “Of course. I told her I knew the perfect gal to help her shop. Nessa says even now some things are hard to come by in Europe.” Kate held her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun. “She plans to buy out the stores.”

  “What do I call her, and do I have to curtsy or anything?”

  “She says to call her Nessa. And she looks like a regular girl, so you can relax.”

  A shiny black car pulled up to the curb, and a tall man dressed in a dark suit and hat got out. “Miss Kate Allen?” He looked at the two girls.

  “That’s us!” They both bounced with excitement.

  The chauffeur opened the back door, and they clambered inside.

  “I am to take you to the St. Regis hotel. Miss Kolodenko will meet you there,” he said.

  “The St. Regis! Positively super!” Josie reached for Kate’s arm. “That’s where all the movie stars stay. Maybe we’ll hobnob with the Four Hundred. Join them for tea.” She mimed drinking with her pinky sticking out.

  “We’re in for it today.” Kate grinned, glad she could at last share some of the fun with her best friend.

  The chauffeur pulled up to the front of the hotel. Nessa stood waiting for them outside. She was dressed in a crisp pink linen suit with a matching hat and kid gloves. She looked like a movie star, herself. People walking by on the street stole glances at her, probably wondering who she was. A photographer even snapped a picture as she got into the back of the car.

  “Hello, Kate.” She smiled at Josie. “You must be Kate’s best friend. I’m Nessa.” She pronounced each word carefully, her accent sounding royal. She held out her gloved hand.

  Josie reached around Kate and shook Nessa’s hand. “It’s swell to meet you. Kate said you need to find some new clothes. I know exactly where to take you. We’ve got Macy’s, Bergdorf’s, and of course Harmon-Craig. Did you want to see Mainbocher, Mrs. Allen’s favorite designer? We might need to make an appointment, though. And take Mrs. Allen.”

  Nessa laughed. “I’ll go wherever you say. I’ll need some new shoes, too.”

  “Delman’s,” Kate and Josie said at the same time.

  “But our first stop is by the store to see the last Cinderella window,” Kate said. “I hardly got to see any of it last night.”

  “Of course,” said Josie. “Let’s start there. I’m sure there’ll be a crowd, being the wedding window and all.” She turned to Nessa, “Did Kate tell you about her windows? They’ve been a huge hit. Gobs of people line up every day to see them. And the dresses. I mean, your dresses. Oh, they’re so pretty.”

  The chauffeur dropped them off near Harmon-Craig. There was already a huge crowd in front of the Cinderella window. They would have to wait their turn. They could see flashes of light up near the window where a photographer was taking pictures.

  “My grandmother must be here still,” said Nessa. “She is giving the paper an interview and telling them a little of our family history. They will print her picture with the dress.” She lowered her voice. “The Burgosov clan will see it.”

  “Who is the Burgosov clan?” Josie whispered back.

  “My family’s enemies. They have hounded us for generations.” Nessa twisted her lips into a wry smile. “We have a minor dispute over the dresses.”

  “Oh, they’re the ones. The apartment?” Josie opened her eyes wide at Kate.

  The crowd parted, and Nessa’s elegant grandmother stepped away from the building. Seeing her granddaughter, she came over with both arms outstretched. “Nessa, I see you are out on your shopping excursion. Hello, Kate.” Mrs. Kolodenko nodded.

  “Good afternoon, Mrs. Kolodenko. This is my friend Josie.”

  Josie curtsied. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Josie was speechless, which, when it came to Josie, was saying a lot.

  “I am on my way to spend some more time with my dear friend Elsie. Please meet me there when you girls are through.” Fyodora Kolodenko smiled. She turned and glided elegantly toward a car and waiting chauffeur.

  They eventually made their way to the front of the window. At last, Cinderella stood beside her prince charming. He in his tuxedo, and she in the wedding dress.

  Nessa peered through the glass. “I still can’t believe what I’m looking at.” She turned to Kate. “Did you ever try them on?”

  Kate could feel her face turning red. She didn’t know if Nessa would be mad if she had tried on her family’s heirlooms.

  The princess laughed. “I see you have.”

  “She looked amazing in that wedding dress,” said Josie. “Made her boyfriend do a double-take.”

  “I don’t have a boyfriend,” Kate protested. At least, not officially. As she spoke, she happened to look to the side and see Johnny with his sketchpad. He raised his head and saw her looking at him. He grinned and waved.

  Nessa followed Kate’s gaze. “That looks like a boyfriend to me.”

  Johnny held up the sketch, but there were too many people walking around so she couldn’t see the drawing. Nessa nudged her. “Go talk to him. You can meet us inside.”

  “All right.” Kate made her way over to Johnny, and he showed her the drawing. She was expecting to see the window design, like he always drew. But it wasn’t. The charcoal picture showed Kate wearing the Cinderella dress. She was up on tiptoes, her hand pressed against the glass of the window, looking into Harmon-Craig.

  “I’d give it to you, but I don’t think I can part with it,” he said.

  Kate’s stomach flipped. She couldn’t hide her smile.

  “Let me show you something,” he said. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the store. He brought her into the back of the window display and closed the door, keeping them in the dark nook where the people outside wouldn’t be able to see them.

  Before Kate had a chance to catch her breath, he kissed her, eyes wide open. She closed her eyes and kissed him back. The butterflies in her stomach let loose, fluttering around until her toes curled. There’s my kiss.

  “I better get you back to your friends,” Johnny whispered, his forehead pressed against Kate’s.

  “Probably,” she answered.

  Neither of them moved. His hand slid down her arm until he clasped her hand. “Let’s go, before we start another fire in here.”

  Reluctantly, she followed Johnny out of the window display and back to the front of the store. They held hands and talked until Josie and Nessa came out, loaded with bags. “Off to the next store!” they exclaimed. “You coming with us, Kate?”

  “Of course. I’ll see you later, Johnny.” She walked backward, waving at him until they got to the car.

  Josie and Nessa giggled.

  “Definitely a boyfriend if I’ve ever seen one,” said Josie.

  Kate tucked her memory of her first kiss deep inside her heart. Johnny was more than a boyfriend. They were a team. And now that the war was over a
nd the Kolodenkos were found, well, her snow globe had stopped shaking. The future could be settled.

  “We should probably go to the nursing home next before we do any more shopping,” said Kate, noticing the time.

  “Does Johnny know Elsie?” asked Nessa.

  “Yes.”

  “Then you better have him come along,” said Nessa. “He’s looking lost out on the sidewalk alone.”

  All three waved him over, and he hopped in the front with the driver.

  On the way to the nursing home, Nessa sat between Kate and Josie. The young princess told them she was planning to attend Barnard College in the fall. She would be returning to New York at the end of summer, after spending her vacation in Italy.

  “Kate’s brother is in Italy. He’s in the army. Wouldn’t that be swell if you met each other?”

  Nessa smiled. “Maybe Kate can send him my address.”

  Kate snapped back into the conversation. “Sure. As far as big brothers go, he’s all right. But we’re hoping he’ll come home soon.”

  The taxi slowed down, and Kate looked out the window to see where they were going. Uncle Adalbert said he had found the perfect place for Elsie. One that was close by and had the latest medical innovations.

  Kate gasped, pointing out the window. “Is that where we’re going?” She blinked to make sure her eyes weren’t fooling her. The pretty redbrick-and-sandstone building was dotted with cathedral windows and flanked by tall, rounded turrets. A castle smack-dab in New York City!

  Uncle Adalbert and her mother met them at the front door. Adalbert held a bouquet of poppies and carnations. Mom held a bakery box.

  “Uncle Adalbert, what is this place? It looks like something out of a fairy tale,” said Kate.

  “Tak, I found Elsie her castle.” He grinned, looking pleased there was a place so special for Elsie. “It was built in the 1800s as a cancer hospital but now is the Memorial Hospital.”

  Mrs. Allen held up the bakery box smelling suspiciously like poppy seed roll. “I don’t know if they’ll let her have any, but I found a bakery selling makowiec. I know how much she likes it.”

  A nurse inside showed them to Elsie’s room in one of the towers. Eleven beds populated the circular room with a nurse’s station running along one side and a large ventilation pipe going up the middle from floor to ceiling. With all the windows letting in natural light, the room shone bright and cheery. Elsie sat, propped up on her bed, while a nurse listened to her heartbeat. Fyodora sat patiently at her side.

  When the nurse left, Adalbert stepped forward with his bouquet. “Happy imieniny, dear.”

  “My name day.” Elsie smiled with delight. “You always remember.” She breathed deeply into the bouquet.

  Mom slipped her arm through Kate’s. “Elsie seems to be at peace, doesn’t she?” Mom asked quietly.

  “She does.”

  “I’ve thought about the move, and if it’s all the same to you, I’d like to stay on. We could save up and take a trip to Italy one day. Mr. Caruso is talking about going there for a visit, and I thought we could go with them.”

  Kate pulled away a little to examine her mother’s face. There was a certain amount of peace there, too. “I’d like that, Mom.”

  When Elsie looked up from smelling her flowers, she noticed Kate and her mother standing to the side. She waved them forward.

  “Kate.” She wrapped her arms around her and squeezed. She held on while she whispered in Kate’s ear. “I knew you were the one. Now the family secret will be kept safe. Fyodora has told me all about your adventure last night. I’m proud of you. You will carry on the tradition well. And I am so happy that it is Katja’s granddaughter that carries the dresses next.”

  “What do you mean?” Kate whispered back.

  “I think I can explain.” Fyodora pulled Kate apart from the others. “Miss Allen, you have demonstrated both loyalty and bravery to your family and to mine. I would like you to consider being the next Keeper of the dresses. Above all, a Keeper requires loyalty and discretion.”

  Kate cringed at the word “discretion.” Placing the dresses on display in New York City was not exactly discreet.

  “You have loyalty in abundance.” She smiled. “And I have no doubt you have learned the importance of keeping the dresses hidden. You will be one of the youngest since the original keeper. Nadzia was her name.”

  Keeper of the dresses? Kate searched for the words. Her eyes were opened to what that meant now. It meant keeper of secrets. Keeper of a legacy for two families. And, more disconcerting, playing keep-away from the stepsister side of the family.

  “But what about the Burgosovs? They know about me.”

  “Yes they do, but you are young, so an unlikely Keeper. Besides, I will make a big show about taking the dresses back to Europe. I understand we have replicas of the dresses?” She looked with love at her granddaughter sitting with Elsie. “With Nessa moving to America, it seems only fitting that the dresses stay here as well.”

  “Elsie tells me she has not yet performed the Keeper ceremony. I am glad she waited for me. I should like Nessa to see it, too. I will make the preparations and on a day when Elsie is feeling well, we will perform it.”

  Kate nodded, still awed to be talking with Cinderella’s heir. “I would like that.”

  “I understand you already have a special hope chest, but we will need to get you a wardrobe so the dresses may hang. The family has special carpenter to make steamer trunks and wardrobes specially designed to hide and preserve the dresses. Traditionally, we keep in touch through a series of messengers to help keep the location of the dresses a secret.” She handed Kate a business card with only a name and phone number. “Here is your contact should you need anything from our family. We like to stay one step ahead of the Burgosovs. The men you met are only two of them.”

  Kate took the card and, feeling assured of herself, tucked it in her purse.

  After Mrs. Kolodenko joined the others, Kate hung back and observed her new friends and family. Johnny came up from behind and wrapped his arms around her.

  “What are you thinking about?” he asked.

  “Family. The future.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  Josie and Nessa huddled together, likely talking shopping. Mom held Elsie’s hand while Adalbert arranged the flowers in a vase a nurse had supplied. They were all brought together by their common concern for Elsie. To think such a quiet, unassuming woman could affect them all so powerfully. Despite the mistakes she had made, Elsie completed the task. She kept the dresses safe and passed them on to the next Keeper.

  And what would Kate’s legacy be? In hope, Babcia chose her and even left her messages for her future Keeper role.

  While she thought of these things, the amber necklace warmed her skin where it touched. She lifted it up and examined the tiny flakes embedded in the honey amber. Though her future was still uncertain, she was on a new and curious path. A path her relatives had been walking for generations. Her story was now entwined with that of Kopciuszek. A servant to the queen.

  Acknowledgments

  To all my writer friends who have supported me along the way, especially my Imaginary Friends: Kitty Bucholtz, Stephanie Shackelford, Lisa Rowe, Heather Bilodeau, and Andrea Huelsenbeck. I hope you notice the Easter Egg tributes I left for you in these pages. To Sandy Greene for her eagle editing eye, and Prelsaysia Williams for some early insight and encouragement.

  To Viola Klype for teaching me about Polish culture, and Kathy Richmond for telling me about her mom’s job drawing ads for a department store. You never know where an author will pick up an idea!

  My dynamic-duo editing team: Theresa M. Cole and Stacy Abrams. You saw a spark and helped me fan it into a real-live book. Alexandra Shostak—the cover rocks! Erin Crum, nothing gets past you in that final spit-polish. To Liz Pelletier and everyone at Entangled, from the interns to the marketing team, you are all fabulous and forever a part of my bookshelf.

  Mom an
d Dad, thank you for always encouraging me to try, to follow where my heart was going, and for being there always, in case things didn’t work out.

  To Randy, Tracy, and Katie who early on knew I needed a boost and kept me loaded up with how-to writing books. And Emmett and Helen for asking, “How’s the writing coming?”

  To Stephen and Rebekah, for all the trips to the library and all the hours of reading together—I treasure these moments. Your curiosity keeps my imagination alive.

  My husband, Mike, for encouraging me to live my dream, and especially for picking up the slack during my marathon edit sessions. I love all your B-movie lines; you keep me laughing. I couldn’t have done this without you.

  And finally, to the Author of my life who gave me a love for Story, and who continues to grow my character arc.

  Please visit Shonna on her website at ShonnaSlayton.com where you can find behind-the-scenes information about the writing of this novel, as well as learn about her latest projects and videos.

  About the Author

  Shonna Slayton finds inspiration in reading vintage diaries written by teens, who despite using different slang, sound a lot like teens today. While writing Cinderella’s Dress she reflected on her days as a high school senior in British Columbia when she convinced her supervisors at a sportswear store to let her design a few windows—it was glorious fun while it lasted. When not writing, Shonna enjoys amaretto lattes and spending time with her husband and children in Arizona.

  Visit her at http://shonnaslayton.com.

  Sign up for our Steals & Deals newsletter and be the first to hear about 99¢ releases from Shonna Slayton and other fantastic Entangled authors!