Cinderella's Shoes

by Shonna Slayton

  “I found a soldier out here one day when I was bringing the babuszka her basket,” Nessa said. “He was still as anything, hiding behind a tree. When he saw what I was carrying, he risked making a noise, revealing his hiding place. He was the leader of a band of twenty partisans who were making their way north and they had run out of food days earlier. I gave him the basket and had to go back for more. When I returned, the basket was sitting on that rock over there filled with wildflowers.”

  “How sweet,” Kate said. She imagined the starving men taking the time to pick flowers in gratitude.

  They continued down the well-trod path as it wound through a grove of trees. The cottage, just like the sketch, was cute as a fairy tale. It was a squat wood-and-stone building with gingerbread trim along the roof and over the doorway. The windows held flower boxes overflowing with periwinkle, cornflowers, and cosmos. Kate let the other girls walk ahead as she took it all in.

  With the addition of the flowers, which were missing from Johnny’s sketch, the cottage looked exactly like the watercolor her dad sent her for her birthday. He had been here, all right. But instead of making her feel closer to him, it made her unexpectedly sad. Kate was beginning to understand why her mother was not ready to open Dad’s box or come to Italy. This must be how her mom felt when she looked at the box.

  Princess Kolodenko matched her pace to Kate’s. “It is possible your father was with the group of men who came to collect the artwork we were hiding. I’m sorry that I did not catch all their names. They were not many, but I was busy with all the children and making sure everything at the house was running smoothly. I wish I could help you more. Our villa was so busy at the time.”

  “I understand,” Kate said. Her dad would have spent some time here, getting all the details right. She wondered what drew him to the cottage, and if he came before or after getting the diamond. Perhaps the babuszka would know.

  No lights were on, and the cottage had the feel of desertion about it.

  “Toward the end, we had to take all the children with us into the farms,” Princess Kolodenko continued, unfazed by the look of the cottage. “Our main villa was overrun with retreating Germans. They kicked us out—only the best for the officers. Once they left we could move back and assess the damage. They were angry and destroyed much of our lovely house. It has taken us all this time to restore the damage.”

  “But then the Australians came,” Nessa said.

  “Yes, they were a welcome sight,” Princess Kolodenko said.

  “A handsome sight,” Nessa said. “All the girls in town were happy to see them. To hear them talk with their funny accents.”

  Now they were standing in the yard in front of the door.

  “I don’t think she’s here,” Nessa said. “She’d have had a light on by now.”

  Kate pointed to a bicycle leaning against the side of the house. “Does she ride into town?”

  “Yes,” Princess Kolodenko answered. “Her bicycle was stolen during the war, but it was one of the first things we replaced. I hope she is well.” She knocked on the door. “Babuszka. Babuszka, are you in?”

  Princess Kolodenko searched the cottage while the rest waited outside. She came out, a worried look on her face. “She is not here. Everything is neatly put away, no fresh flowers on the table like she likes to keep. I’m afraid she has gone.”

  Nessa pushed her way into the cottage, and Kate followed. Inside was one large room, with a small soft bed pushed up against the wall to the right. At the back was the kitchen with a row of cabinets, a sink, and an old wood stove with its black pipe snaking up through the roof. The floor was spotless wood planks.

  “Does she go away often?” Kate asked.

  “Never. She had no family apart from us. Oh, dear. Where could she have gone?”

  “We could ask the movie people if they’ve seen her,” Nessa said.

  Princess Kolodenko nodded. “Great idea. They’ve already taken an interest in her. They’ve filmed her several times in the background scenes.”

  They left the canned food on the table in case they were wrong and the babuszka returned. “This is very troubling,” Princess Kolodenko whispered as she closed the door tight. “Quickly now, before we have no more light.” She led the march back to the villa.

  Late that night as Kate was staring up at the ceiling trying to figure out what could have happened to the babuszka, there was a gentle knock at the door. Before Kate could respond, it opened, illuminating Princess Kolodenko’s frame. “Are you awake?” came the whisper.

  “Yes. Come in.”

  Princess Kolodenko sat on the edge of Kate’s bed. “Do you still want to go to Poland?”

  Kate’s stomach fluttered. She eagerly rolled onto her side and pushed herself up on one arm. “Yes. Lidka can take me to Mal—” Kate stopped herself. She needed Princess Kolodenko’s approval to go and didn’t want to remind her outright of who Kate would be going to see. “She thinks she can help.”

  “I still believe Poland is dangerous.”

  “She says it isn’t.”

  “Maybe not for her.” Princess Kolodenko was quiet for a long time, staring at her clasped hands.

  “Is there something else?” Kate prompted.

  “I am weighing your safety with your dreams. How your mother would feel for you to travel to Poland this summer. We will have to get her permission.”

  “Really? I don’t think Mom will mind. She took me there herself when I was so little I don’t remember. To come all this way and not see Poland would be a tragedy.”

  Princess Kolodenko let out a small laugh and looked up at the ceiling. “I have a different view of tragedy.” Her gaze fell on Kate. “If the babuszka is gone, it means something. I was wrong. You should go.” The princess’s face was pale in the dim light. She stood, and the concerned look in her eyes before she turned away made Kate draw in a breath. What was the princess not telling her?

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Kate could still hardly believe they were going to Poland. Princess Kolodenko’s only stipulation was that Nessa and Johnny had to go, too. Mr. Day was willing to let Johnny miss work, given that the rejiggered filming schedule was going so well, and they were still waiting on several costume issues to be resolved for the later scenes.

  Nessa was less enthused about traveling with Lidka, but after a talk with the princess, she had come around. Now, instead of fussing, she was outlining detailed sightseeing excursions, which completely irritated Lidka. They’d never have enough time for all Nessa was planning, but Kate suspected Lidka’s frustrations were the point of Nessa’s enthusiastic organizing. Lidka, in her matter-of-fact way, proceeded to arrange for everyone’s paperwork to be completed, but was silent on her plans for when they got there.

  One evening when everyone seemed to be a little antsy waiting on their travel plans, Mr. De Luca taught them a popular card game called scopa, the Italian word for broom. Lidka refused to participate, instead hovering on the fringes of the group, watching.

  While he was shuffling, Johnny said, “That tagliatelle we had for dinner was tasty. I hope you got the recipe, Kate. We could whip up a batch for your mom when we get home.”

  Kate nodded. “She’d like that.” Cooking with Johnny. Now I’d like that.

  “Just wait until Ferragosto,” Nessa said. “You’ll have all kinds of new foods to try.”

  “What is Ferragosto?” Mr. Day asked, picking up his cards.

  “Big Italian holiday,” Mr. De Luca said, opening wide his arms and punctuating each word with a shake of his hands. “Not as important as Christmas, but big like . . .” He looked to Princess Kolodenko for ideas.

  “Like your Thanksgiving? It is a time of celebration that the harvests have come in and it is the start of holiday season.”

  “Before we lived at Avanti, we would come here for Ferragosto,” Nessa said.

  “When is it?” Kate asked.

  “August fifteen.”

  Kate raised her eyebrows at
Lidka in a silent question of whether they would be in Italy or Poland then.

  Lidka looked unhelpfully away. But after Johnny and Mr. Day had gone back to the guesthouse, she announced they were leaving for Poland the next morning.

  “What?” Kate stopped putting away the playing cards. “Why didn’t you say so earlier? I need to pack. I’ve got to tell Johnny.” She dropped the cards on the table. Lidka was a hard one to understand sometimes.

  Nessa rolled her eyes. “You could have given us some warning.”

  “I could not get you a permit. Only Kate and Johnny.”

  “What? Did you even try?” Nessa looked at her babcia in exasperation.

  “You have a history in Poland,” Lidka said. “Kate and Johnny are tourists. They were easy.”

  Nessa crossed her arms. “Then we’ll have to wait until I can get mine.”

  Lidka shook her head. “I’m going tomorrow morning, with or without anyone else. Six o’clock.” She looked pointedly at Kate before leaving the room.

  Mr. De Luca took over putting the cards away. “What do you want to do, Kate? Go or wait?”

  “I have no choice. I need to go.” She frowned at Nessa. “I know Lidka well enough to know she doesn’t offer second chances.”

  Princess Kolodenko sighed. “Run and tell Johnny.”

  Kate flew out the door. “Johnny!” she called. He was standing in the light of the open door to the guesthouse about to follow his dad inside. He let the door close.

  “What is it?” He took the stone path to meet her.

  “Lidka says we’re leaving early in the morning.”

  He tilted his head, looking annoyed. “And she just learned this?”

  Kate shrugged. “I don’t know what her problem is. We have to take her the way she is.”

  “Can’t you wait for me to be finished with this one scene? A few more days would be better timing.”

  “Lidka is pretty determined. I have to go when she goes. No one else will take me, and she couldn’t get Nessa’s paperwork.”

  Johnny frowned. “I don’t like it. We’re supposed to all go together. How safe is it, where Lidka is taking us?”

  “I think it’s fine. Otherwise the Kolodenkos wouldn’t let me go.”

  He looped his hands behind his head and walked around, thinking. “Okay. I’ll talk to Dad and see what we can work out. Did your mother give her okay?”

  “Telegram came this morning. I think she remembers the old Poland. She sounded happy I was going.”

  “All right. I’ll get back to you soon.”

  He opened his arms and Kate rushed in. “Thank you,” she said.

  “No problem. But I have ulterior motives, you know.” He kissed her neck until she giggled and pushed away. “I want you to be happy.”

  “You make me happy.” She felt the heat rise to her face at her boldness. “See you tomorrow.” She returned to the villa and pulled out her bag to start packing. Nessa crept in and closed the door gently.

  “I can’t believe Lidka did that,” she whispered, standing close to Kate. “She’s trying to get you alone. Don’t let her manipulate you.”

  “I think you’re overreacting,” Kate said. “Johnny will be with us.”

  “You don’t know her like I do. You should not go. Wait until I can come with you.”

  “I’ll be careful.” She’d seen Lidka’s expression earlier; she never planned to take Nessa with them. When Nessa’s visa didn’t come in with the others, she saw her chance to leave her behind. But Kate needed Lidka more than she needed Nessa. She couldn’t wait. Johnny would be enough to help keep Lidka in line.

  Nessa bit her lip, her fists clenched at her sides. “Keep making her speak English. Don’t let on how much Polish you know. And if you find the shoes, bring them back. Hide them in your bag or at a locker in a train station. I think Babcia is wrong. The shoes belong with the dress.” She lifted her eyes to Kate. “Don’t you agree?”

  Kate stared back at her. Everyone was missing the point. Dresses. Shoes. The feud. She was missing her dad. The shoes were a tool to help find him. “I don’t know what is going to happen. Any decisions will be made in the moment.” Kate tried not to bite out her words. She sighed. “The real reason I want to find the shoes is that I hope they will lead me to my dad. Like how the prince used them to find Kopciuszek.”

  “Oh.” Nessa looked at Kate with sad eyes. “Now I understand.”

  “It could happen,” Kate said quietly. “Fairy-tale magic.” She held her hands out as if trying to catch some of that magic.

  “Fine. Then leave the dresses here so they don’t steal them.” Nessa stepped closer to the door.

  “They can’t just take them, remember? The ball gown protects itself.”

  “I know. But you might give them away . . . if they trick you.”

  Kate didn’t answer. If she found out her dad was still alive, she would do whatever it took to get him back. She couldn’t promise Nessa anything.

  “I forbid you to take them.” Nessa stamped her foot.

  “Forbid me? No wonder Lidka didn’t want you along. Everything is not all about you.” Says the Keeper to the Princess. Inwardly, Kate cringed.

  “Wha—” Nessa narrowed her eyes. “Remember at the castle when I was feeling something but couldn’t place it? Well, I’ve thought about it, and I think I was sensing people and what they were thinking. I don’t know how else to describe it. Lidka wants to help, but she is conflicted. I don’t trust her.” Nessa jabbed her finger at Kate. “And neither should you.” She huffed, and stalked out of the room.

  Kate sat down hard on the bed. She put her head in her hands and breathed out a long, calming breath. She didn’t completely trust Lidka, either, but what choice did she have? And of course she thought the shoes belonged with the dresses. She’d do whatever she could to keep them, after she found her father.

  She channeled her energy into packing, then went back downstairs to wait for word from Johnny. Mr. De Luca stayed up late with her. He had all kinds of questions about New York and how Nessa would fit in. They both kept glancing at the clock, waiting for Johnny to report back. It got to be so each time one would look, they would both laugh.

  “You need to sleep,” he said. “Staying awake won’t change anything. You’ll know in the morning.” He got up and started turning out the lights. “Buona notte.”

  “Good night,” she answered back, and went up to her room.

  Reluctantly, she turned out her light and lay down. Her emotions were all over the place. She was finally on her way to some answers. But if the Kolodenkos wouldn’t even return to their homeland, how safe could it be? Despite Lidka’s assurances all would be well, Kate was afraid. If she slept at all tonight, she’d be surprised.

  She was finally fading out when a ping sounded from the window. Ping. Ping. She blinked sleep out of her eyes and looked into the moonlit garden. She laughed. There was Johnny with a handful of pebbles. She waved so he would stop risking breaking a window to get her attention. She hefted up the window and called down, “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?”

  “Nice to see you, fair Juliet,” he replied. “Good news. I can come with you. Dad wasn’t happy about it, but he doesn’t want you going alone.”

  Kate felt a lightness in her chest. She sputtered something about thanking his dad and how happy she was they’d be going together.

  He laughed. “See you in the morning, Sparky.”

  Excitement replaced the fear in her heart, allowing Kate to relax and eventually drift off to sleep. With Lidka leading the way and Johnny there for support, the task seemed less impossible.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Too early in the morning, Kate awoke to an awful clanging sound. She rolled out of bed and popped her head out into the hallway at the same time Lidka opened her door. Mr. De Luca spotted them, smiled, and raised a cowbell above his head.

  She and Lidka groaned simultaneously.

  “Works all the time,” he s
aid. “Come down for breakfast.”

  Lidka slammed her door. Maybe she isn’t an early bird.

  After changing into her traveling skirt, Kate stared at the packages on her bed. The dresses. What was she going to do? She could leave them in the safety of the villa, but she might need them to make the shoes work. Although if she brought the dresses, she would risk having Malwinka take them.

  Standing there, chewing her nail, Kate was torn. This was the hardest decision she’d had to make as Keeper. Harder than deciding to trick the Burgosovs into thinking they had the real dress when she gave them a fake one.

  Someone knocked on the doorframe and pushed open the half-closed door.

  “Hey, beautiful, what’s taking you so long?” It was Johnny, his bag slung over his shoulder. “If you forget something, we can buy it.”

  Kate stepped back so he could see what she was looking at. “Could I buy these?”

  His mouth formed an O. He picked up one of the packages. “What are you going to do?”

  “Bring them? Leave them? Stand here until I figure it out?”

  He dropped his bag on the bed. “You’d better decide quick. You’re the last one to come downstairs. Everyone is waiting for you.”

  She poked at his bag. “You didn’t pack much.”

  “All I really need is a toothbrush. You girls pack too much. Do you have to bring all three? Why not bring the one? You know.” He wiggled his fingers like he was trying to show magic.

  She laughed. “Of course.” Kate shook her head. “I was making it too complicated. Keeping track of one will be easier than all three, and the ball gown is the one that goes with the shoes. It’s the risk I need to take.”

  While Johnny waited, she stashed the servant’s work dress and the wedding dress in the wardrobe, underneath some quilts. Not that she expected them to be there when she got back. Surely Nessa would search the room once Kate left and take them to her own room “for safekeeping.”

  She started to pack the ball gown, but then raised her eyes questioningly at Johnny. He grinned and nodded. She stuffed the wrapped package into the bag and handed the works to Johnny.