Cinderella and the Lady

by KT Grant

  “She’s my stepsister,” Mina announced, drawing the coverlet around her. “Why in the world do you have Ellie’s shoes?”

  “You can tell me where I can find her!” Excitement hummed through her body.

  “Kristina, who is this woman you need to find?” Simon asked, and turned toward Mina. “Mina, love, this is the first time I’ve heard you have a stepsister.”

  Mina twirled a piece of her hair around her finger. “We, I mean Mama, keeps Ellie hidden. She’s dimwitted—”

  “Ellie is not dimwitted! She’s just shy and has poor self-esteem.” Kristina advanced toward the bed with one of the shoes raised in the air. How dare she say such things about her Ellie? She drew back her arm to throw the boot at Mina’s face, but Simon blocked her.

  “Don’t speak to the woman I plan to marry that way.”

  “She has no right to say such cruel words about the woman I love!” Kristina snarled and tossed the clogs against the wall. Mina yelped and both Noah and Simon inhaled in shock.

  Kristina moaned and covered her face. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes again. She upset and out of sorts. She had to find Ellie before she had a nervous breakdown.

  Simon whispered her name. She released a shaky sigh and turned around. “I’ve fallen in love, and not with a man. If mother and father find out, they may disown me or make me join a nunnery.”

  “You’ll be in good company, then. They may force me to become a priest.” Simon chuckled, then grew serious. “What do you need me to do?”

  “Help me find Ellie. We had a horrible fight last night and she ran away. She could be anywhere.” The plea in her voice was more than noticeable.

  Simon kissed her on the forehead and held out his hand to Mina. “Come here.”

  Mina obeyed, dragging the coverlet with her. She smiled blissfully up at Simon, and when she reached his side, he gave her a kiss.

  “It would make me extremely happy if you could tell us where we can find your sister,” he said and gave her another kiss.

  “She’s probably at home in the kitchen making breakfast for—” Mina winced. “Mama has no idea where I am! She’s going to kill me!”

  “She won’t kill you when you tell her you and Simon are engaged to be married,” Noah said and grabbed his glasses from the bedside table and put them on.

  “This situation of yours is beyond strange.” Kristina rubbed her aching forehead. “I’m not in my right mind right now to question this odd friendship you three have.”

  “When you’re in a better frame of mind, I’ll explain everything. But first, let’s get dressed and we’ll go to Mina’s house,” Simon recommended.

  Kristina nodded. “I can be ready in less than ten minutes. I assume it will take you longer as you try locating everyone’s clothes and who wears what.” She motioned around the room where articles of clothing had been strewn.

  Simon’s neck and face grew red and Mina hid her face against his arm. Noah sat on the edge of the bed, looking bashful.

  Kristina scooped the clogs off the floor. “I’ll meet you downstairs shortly,” she announced and hurried back to her room. This time she didn’t feel as if the world had come crashing down upon her head. In less than an hour she would see Ellie again. This time she wouldn’t let Ellie run away from her, and if she had to, she’d tie Ellie to a chair to keep her from escaping a second time.

  * * * *

  When Mina opened the front door, Kristina rushed inside. Mina called out for her to wait, but she didn’t listen and vaulted up the steps to the second level, two at a time, calling out Ellie’s name. She searched each bedroom. When she didn’t find Ellie, she ran back down the stairs.

  Simon grabbed hold of her when she darted past him. “Calm down. We’ll find her if she’s here.”

  “Her bedroom is next to the kitchen.” Mina pointed that direction.

  Kristina wrenched away from Simon and rushed down the hall. She skirted the kitchen and found a half-opened door. Pushing it open, she eyed the small room. In the middle of the bed sat August with a mouse sitting on his back.

  What in the world…? She shook her head over the strange sight of the cat and mouse looking chummy with one another and studied the tiny room. Other than a bed and a small desk, the bedroom was woefully bare. She fisted her hands on her hips. Where could Ellie be?

  Loud voices came from the front of the house. She left the room, hoping Ellie had been found.

  Mina and Simon were inside the drawing room staring down at the baroness, who sat on a settee in need of a good refurbishing. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face was pale. A small wooden box sat next to her, overflowing with papers. She handed a letter to Mina.

  She walked into the room. “What’s going on? Where’s Ellie?”

  “Ellie no longer lives here,” the baroness said and touched her forehead. “I had too much to drink last night.”

  Mina held out the letter for Kristina to take. “It’s a note from the Countess Tremaine. It says Ellie has accepted a position as her companion and they left for London early this morning.”

  Kristina took the letter and scanned the words on the page. She then hit her leg with her fist and glared at the baroness. “You let Ellie leave with the countess? How could you allow that?”

  “Allow it? Eleanor is a grown woman who can make her own decisions. She wasn’t here when I returned home last night. I came home alone when I couldn’t find my missing daughter.” The baroness gave Mina a firm look.

  Mina didn’t cower under her mother’s stare. “I stayed overnight at Simon’s because it was so late.”

  “Simon was kind enough to let you sleep in a guest bedroom?” The baroness’s voice had sly tone to it.

  Before Mina could answer, Simon spoke in her stead.

  “Your daughter has consented to be my wife. Now you don’t have to be too concerned about her reputation if it ever gets out she slept at my home without a chaperone,” he said stiffly.

  The baroness’s face brightened. “This is wonderful! We need to set a date for the wedding—”

  “Enough!” Kristina cried out. “How long ago did Ellie leave with the Countess Tremaine?”

  The baroness’s mouth molded into a straight line. “How would I know? Why would you care where my stepdaughter has run off to and with whom?”

  “Mama.” Mina sat down next to her mother. “Lady Kristina is friends with Ellie. I know it comes as surprise because of how much of a homebody Ellie is, but it appears she was at the ball last night and left behind her favorite pair of shoes. Lady Kristina would like to return them to her and needs to know the countess’s address in London or meet up with them if they haven’t traveled too far.”

  The baroness looked lost. Kristina’s temper grew, but then something warm and solid brushed against her legs. August rubbed his face against her skirt and meowed. She picked him up and cradled him in her arms.

  “Ellie wouldn’t up and leave everything behind. At the very least she would take August with her,” she explained through gritted teeth.

  “Madam, it would please me greatly if you could give us more information on your stepdaughter’s whereabouts,” Simon said and crossed his arms behind his back as he stared his nose down at the baroness. “We fear Ellie wasn’t thinking correctly and may have done something rash.”

  “Only friends, hmm?” the baroness asked, staring at Kristina in speculation.

  She gave the odious woman a bland smile. “Ellie needs someone like me, a good friend to watch out for her and care for her, since she has been lacking love for so long.”

  The baroness opened her mouth to respond, but faltered. Suddenly tears came to her eyes and she covered her mouth with her fist.

  Mina curved her arm around her mother’s shoulders. “Mama, what’s the matter? You’re trembling.”

  The baroness cleared her throat as she traced a finger over her papers lying on her lap. A tear dripped on the top sheet. “I can’t keep it a secret any longer. Yvonne has succeed
ed in getting everything she’s ever wanted while I’ve suffered.”

  “Secret? Suffered?” Mina asked, staring up at Simon in confusion.

  Simon sat down on the other side of the baroness. “Is there something you want to share with us?”

  Kristina lifted August up on her shoulder to stop from lunging and shaking the older woman who talked nonsense. She tapped her foot and waited impatiently for the baroness to continue.

  The baroness squeezed the bridge of her nose. Strain lines riddled her mouth and she looked a good ten years older. “We’re in dire straits. We’ve run out of money and have been relying on the countess for too long. Ever since Louis fell ill, Yvonne has been paying off the doctor bills and the mortgage on the house, as well as funds to feed and clothe us. For her kindness toward us, there was only one thing she asked in return.”

  “Ellie?” Mina asked.

  The baroness nodded. “Yvonne always liked Eleanor, even when she was a little girl. She reminded her of Angelica. It wasn’t right for—”

  “It wasn’t right for Ellie to wait on you hand and foot!” Kristina lashed out, enjoying the mortified look on the baroness’s face.

  “I won’t deny I was selfish, but I couldn’t let Eleanor go off with Yvonne at such a young age. I had hoped Yvonne would lose interest.”

  “Mama, I don’t understand. Why wouldn’t you want Ellie to work for the countess? We could have found another servant of some sort for cleaning the house and cooking—”

  Kristina couldn’t hold back her rage any longer. Placing August on the floor, she slammed her hands down on the table in front of Mina and her mother. Both women jumped while Simon crossed his arms.

  “Mina, you can’t be this clueless!” Kristina spat and rapped her knuckles on the table. “Countess Tremaine wants Ellie because she lusts for her. She wants access to Ellie, much like a man would want a woman he desires.”

  Mina’s eyes shot up into her forehead and she stared at her mother in shock. “Tell Lady Kristina she’s wrong! The countess would never do something so—”

  “Devious or diabolical?” Kristina asked snidely and pointed her finger at the baroness. “You are quite the piece of work. You’re just as vile as the countess who could be hurting Ellie even as we speak.”

  “She wouldn’t do that. She adores Eleanor in her own way,” the baroness said in a shrill voice.

  Simon slapped his hands on his knees and stood. “Enough! The ride to London takes eight hours. If they left after sunrise, they have a good four hours’ lead time. I say we leave now and try to meet up with them. Maybe we’ll get lucky and the countess and her party will take a short rest at some inn along the way.”

  “Yvonne and Robert always stop at the Barley Arms. It’s halfway between here and London. They’ll want to freshen up and have a meal. I hear it’s a proper establishment and they always give Yvonne the best room,” the baroness rambled on, wrinkling her papers.

  The papers the baroness had were aged and yellow. For some odd reason Kristina had a feeling they might be of some importance regarding the countess or perhaps Ellie. But for now they had more pressing matters to deal with: stopping the countess from forcing Ellie to cater to her sexual needs. And if the inn had a private room, nothing could stop her from seducing Ellie or worse. Ellie would be powerless to stop her, especially if Lord Robert was involved.

  Kristina shuddered at the thought of both the countess and Lord Robert forcing themselves on Ellie and raping her.

  “Let’s hurry, then,” she said to Simon, then faced the baroness. “You’re coming with us even if I have to drag you.”

  The baroness stood, clutching her box. She tossed the papers back inside and shut the lid. “There are some other things I should mention about my relationship with Yvonne and why Eleanor is stuck in the middle of all of this. I can’t live with myself if anything unfortunate happens to my stepdaughter.”

  Kristina didn’t know if the baroness was putting on an act to gain sympathy. She wouldn’t be surprised if she was. It appeared to have worked on Mina, who held her mother close. She, on the other hand, wasn’t going to fall for it, and so she stalked out of the room.

  “Mina, it would be best if you stayed here in case Ellie didn’t go with the countess and eventually returns home. We’ll take good care of your mother,” Simon said in a placating tone.

  Mina nodded in agreement. “I’ll go check with Noah and his father. Perhaps they know where Ellie is,” she said brightly.

  Kristina tapped the side of the door. “This is ridiculous. We know where Ellie is and with whom. We need to hurry.”

  Simon pulled the baroness along, who clutched onto his arm. She whispered something to him, and as he walked out with her, he spoke in a low, soothing voice.

  Kristina started to follow them when Mina touched her arm.

  “What?” She didn’t bother to hide her frustration.

  “Please bring Simon and Ellie back in one piece. Whatever the countess has planned for Ellie, it can’t be good, based on my mother’s reaction. I fear the worst.”

  “You and I are both in accord.” She gave Mina a terse smile. “Simon and I will find Ellie. I’m planning on making her very happy for the rest of her life, if she’ll have me.”

  August circled around Mina and meowed. Mina picked him up and nuzzled his head. “Good luck.”

  With one last stroke on August’s back, Kristina walked out of the room. Simon waited by their carriage with the door open. When she hopped inside, the baroness sat across from her. Sobs rose from her mouth.

  When Simon was settled in, he handed the baroness his handkerchief. The baroness wiped away her tears and told them about Yvonne’s obsession with Ellie’s mother that led to her death and how she ended up being an accomplice in order to get what she thought was rightly hers—Louis de Saltin.

  Chapter Sixteen

  A footman set the trunk in front of the bed. With a bow in the countess’s direction, he left, leaving the two women alone.

  Ellie wiped her palms down the front of her borrowed dress. Even though it was one of the countess’s maid’s, it was still a better one than she usually wore.

  “Eleanor, dear, you look like you’re going to drop!” The countess tsked and rested her palm against Ellie’s cheek.

  She stiffened. During the carriage ride, she had suffered the countess’s touches and far-too-friendly overtures while Lord Robert dozed, unaware. She actually didn’t mind Lord Robert, who had been very kind since finding her last night. She wished he was here now instead of downstairs having a drink in the tap room.

  “I didn’t get much sleep last night, and with the bumping of the carriage I couldn’t nap, my lady,” Ellie explained. I didn’t want to take the chance of falling to sleep and having you touch me without my permission.

  The countess pursed her lips, a sign she was not amused. “One of my first rules is I expect you to call me Yvonne in private. I won’t have it any other way.”

  Ellie nodded and covered a yawn, wishing she could rest. But then the countess might join her, seeing as there was only one bed to share.

  “We’re in no rush to get to London. With Robert downstairs drinking, it will be hours yet before we leave. I’ll order us a light repast, and after we eat we can lie down.” The countess stretched her arms overhead, thrusting out her chest and showing off the globes of her breasts. Ellie averted her eyes and stared down at the floor.

  When the countess fiddled with her hair, she glanced up again. The countess stared at her in sympathy, her touch unnerving. The only person she wanted to touch her in such a manner was Kristina. She backed away and sat down on the mattress, cutting off a weary groan.

  “I’m going to order us food. I’ll be gone a short while.” The countess gave Ellie a wink and left the room.

  Ellie lay back and stared up at the canopy. She missed her tiny bedroom, and August and Jack. The slippers she wore that pinched her feet made her wish for her plain clogs. She turned on her side an
d closed her eyes. Kristina had probably thrown away her shoes or burned them by now. Her chest tightened as memories of Kristina and their time after their lovemaking— rushed over her. What if she hadn’t overreacted, and forgiven Kristina for lying to her? Right now they could be together at the beach or experiencing more breathtaking passion in the cottage where she had fallen in love—

  Love. She loved Kristina and it got her nothing but heartbreak and misery. Now she was stuck with a woman who would eventually expect her to engage in the same intimacies she had shared with Kristina.

  Hiding her face in the pillow, she covered her sobs. After one final cry she would put aside all her feeling for Kristina Perrault and welcome the Countess Tremaine to do whatever she’d like to her without complaint.

  * * * *

  Yvonne hurried back after she requested a meal be brought up to her suite. She almost had a fit when she didn’t find Eleanor in the room, but then she heard noises coming from the water closet. She composed herself and directed one of the servants to set out their meal. With a slip of a coin, the servant left and she was alone again. She locked the door while humming under her breath and took out a small bottle filled with clear liquid. For the next few hours, she planned on keeping busy with Eleanor in bed. She would show her such pleasures, much like the ones she had always wanted to practice with Angelica but never did.

  Tender memories of her deceased friend came over her as she poured two glasses of wine. She then poured a small amount of the opiate into Eleanor’s glass and swirled it around with her finger. In less than a half-hour, Eleanor wouldn’t shy away from her touch like she normally did. Soon enough they would both be naked, and she sucking Eleanor’s virgin flesh.

  She had just taken her first sip of wine when Eleanor emerged from the water closet. Her eyes were red and her lips chapped. She cut off a sigh, loathing how wan Eleanor looked. Soon enough her young ingénue would be smiling and crying out in joy.

  She waved at the table. “Join me in a glass of wine.”

  Eleanor folded her hands in front of her. “Thank you, I don’t want any—”