Damnation: A Cinderella Retelling (Tales of Cinder Book 3)

by M. J. Haag

  I stood there, enduring her amusement. When she sobered, she stood and crossed the room to give my arm a reassuring squeeze.

  “You made the best choice available to you. Don’t worry about young Kaven. I will address the issue.”

  My stomach clenched with fear.

  “You will have your chance tomorrow,” Cecilia said. “He plans to call on us. See, sister? There’s no need to worry.”

  I wanted to claw her eyes out.

  The knock on the kitchen door paused my labor. I looked at Cecilia, who had been an annoyingly constant presence since the moment I woke. She rose from her spot at the table, took a pinch of flour to wipe on her cheek, and went to open the door.

  “Good morning, Kaven,” she said, pulling the door wider. “Do come in. Eloise and I were just baking bread.”

  My heart ached at the sight of him as he stepped into the kitchen. As much as I feared for his safety and wished him away, I was also glad for his presence. His eyes swept the room, noting me before turning to Cecilia.

  “You make your own bread?” he asked.

  “It’s much more cost effective than buying it at the market,” she said, closing the door behind him.

  He glanced at me, warmth lighting his eyes.

  “It’s not that. I thought ladies such as yourselves didn’t need to bake.”

  “It’s a skill that Mama insists every woman should master,” Cecilia said. She gave Kaven a knowing smile. “I’m to fetch Mama. I’ll be a few minutes.”

  He gave her a wide smile and a small bow.

  “You have my gratitude.”

  As soon as the door closed he stepped toward me. My pulse raced with the understanding of his intent, and I held up both hands to stave him off.

  “Don’t,” I warned.

  He chuckled as if I played some cute game and caught me up in his arms. The press of his strong arms so firmly around my waist warmed my insides to a degree.

  “But I’ve missed you,” he said softly.

  My heart gave an agreeable lurch at his sentiment. His blue gaze held mine expectantly, likely waiting for me to return his affection.

  “Well, I haven’t missed you,” I lied. “Let me go before she returns.”

  I set my floured hands on his shoulders and pushed. He didn’t budge. Instead, he dipped his head and nuzzled my neck, sending tingles of awareness into places I shouldn’t acknowledge. They were so delicious, however, that I gasped and stilled.

  He groaned and nibbled the tender skin just below my ear.

  “She said we have a few minutes,” he said softly.

  Realizing I’d weakened, I pushed at him again.

  “She was lying.”

  As soon as the words were out of my mouth, the door opened.

  “Release my daughter at once,” Maeve said sternly but without anger.

  Kaven did as he was told and bowed deeply to Maeve.

  “I beg for your forgiveness and a private word with you, mistress.”

  “You are not forgiven, and you can speak your piece here,” she said, unmoved by Kaven’s attempt at a charming smile.

  “I’ve come to speak my intentions for Eloise,” he said formally.

  “Your intentions? I see.” Maeve’s tone and expression gave nothing away. She appeared neither upset nor startled by the news as she glanced at me.

  “Eloise has captured my heart,” he said. “I’m here to ask—"

  “I’m afraid such a match would be unsuitable,” Maeve said, not unkindly. “Despite her current mode of dress, I would see her settled comfortably in life. And I believe you could not hope to give that to her as she has no dowry. This home belongs to the Crown as do most of the items within it. You have nothing to give her, and she has nothing for you. I’m sorry, Kaven, but my answer is no. Firmly, no.”

  I glanced at Kaven, my heart breaking. He didn’t look at me but bowed again to Maeve.

  “Thank you for hearing me. While I will respect your answer, please know that I also hope to change your mind.”

  “An impossibility,” Maeve said. “It’s time you leave.”

  “I see. With your permission, I have a message to deliver.”

  She nodded.

  “Your family is invited to the Retreat this evening for dinner. The Prince has heard of Eloise and the stories regarding her mother. He’s also interested in meeting the woman who now holds the title of Mistress Cartwright.”

  “Please let His Highness know that he honors us with his interest and invitation, and we humbly accept.”

  Chapter Five

  “This will have to do,” Maeve said, holding up one of Cecilia’s gowns to me.

  That it was one she’d worn to the whorehouse didn’t escape my notice. However, I doubted the Prince would know that.

  “Porcia has more dresses than me, Mama. Perhaps we should try one of hers.”

  Maeve cut Cecilia a sharp look.

  “You and Eloise share a similar shape, size, and coloring. She will wear one of your dresses, and you will say not a single word about it.”

  “Yes, Mama,” she said softly.

  “It’s Eloise’s interactions with that boy which have gained the attention of the Prince.” Maeve focused on me, placing the dress in my arms. “Cecilia will accompany you on all your walks henceforth. Should you happen upon young Kaven, you will be chaperoned, and Cecilia will have an opportunity to impress him with her good nature as you have done.”

  “Yes, Mama,” I said, cringing on the inside. I’d barely regained the small freedom of going outdoors, and now it was being taken from me yet again.

  “Go dress. Make yourself presentable.”

  I turned to leave Cecilia’s room, but Maeve stopped me with a question.

  “Do you hold affection for the boy?” she asked.

  “He is kind and handsome. I hold him in friendship, nothing more.”

  Maeve remained silent for a moment.

  “Would you grieve his loss?”

  Words escaped me as the pain of such an idea consumed me.

  “I can see you would. Spare yourself such torment and behave accordingly tonight. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Mama.” I cursed myself for showing even a hint of my affection for Kaven in front of her.

  “Very good.” She came to me and kissed my cheek. “Run along now. We will be waiting for you in the carriage.”

  I hurried upstairs to change. After a long day baking and cleaning, I would have preferred to crawl into my bed and sleep. However, I knew there would be no escaping the dinner to come. I resented the Prince’s long overdue presence and hoped that tonight would proceed smoothly and spare Kaven any consequence of my folly.

  Looking out at the moon shining through my small window, I thought of Kaven. My heart gave a lurch at the memory of his earnest offer for my hand. I let myself imagine a world where Maeve was stopped. A world where the King allowed Kaven and me to live here as man and wife. My skin flushed with the recollection of Kaven’s kisses. Man and wife. For a moment, I let myself cling to that happy thought. I was tired of being so alone. And afraid. It was my fear that destroyed my dream. I couldn’t allow my affection for Kaven to show. Until Maeve was stopped, I needed to keep him at a distance, no matter how much I wished to share the burden of my knowledge. I wouldn’t condemn another to my hell.

  As soon as I laced the dress and brushed out my hair, I went downstairs and found everyone already in the carriage. It seemed silly to have Seth drive us when the distance was so close, but Maeve was firm. Walking was for impoverished people who were beneath the Prince’s notice.

  I kept my thoughts of such ridiculousness to myself and watched out the window.

  When we pulled into the yard, the door to the Retreat opened, and Kaven stepped out. I looked away quickly but not before I noted that he wore the same clothes from the morning. Or his welcoming smile at the sight of our carriage.

  Seth opened the door for us, and Maeve descended first, followed by Cecilia, Porcia
, and finally me.

  “Welcome,” Kaven said. “His Royal Highness is waiting for you in the parlor.”

  Kaven led the way to the room in question where the Prince struck a magnificent pose before the fire. His cropped dark brown hair was combed back in an overly perfect way that showcased his regal nose and cool blue-grey eyes. He breathed deeply as he watched us enter, the move expanding his chest and straining his jacket. It was a calculated move to impress his masculine presence upon us. I struggled not to snort and caught Kaven watching me. He winked, and I quickly looked away.

  My gaze collided with the Prince’s.

  “Welcome to the Retreat,” he said. “As we are neighbors, I thought it appropriate to make your acquaintance in person. Kaven spoke highly of you. Well, some of you.”

  I still hated the prick for my time in the dungeon and his condescending tone.

  “Your Highness,” Maeve said with a deep curtsy. “Allow me to introduce my daughters, Cecilia, Porcia, and Eloise.”

  While my sisters performed perfect curtsies, mine was half-hearted at best.

  “Please rise,” the Prince said. “Sit. Can I have my servant offer you anything to drink before we dine? I’m very interested to hear the story behind Mr. Cartwright’s hasty marriage so soon after the infamous Mrs. Cartwright’s demise.”

  My mouth dropped open. Could he be any ruder?

  “Of course, Your Highness,” Maeve said graciously. “Wine would benefit us all for such a tale.”

  He glanced at Kaven, who then left the room while Maeve sat near the Prince. Cecilia and Porcia hurried to take nearby seats as well. I kept my distance, choosing a chair as far as I could get from the Prince without making myself sick from the spell binding me to Maeve.

  “What you must first know is that Atwell Cartwright loved Margaret without reservation, even in her slow deterioration. And, he saw their daughters as an extension of the remarkable woman he loved.”

  Maeve’s words were making me ill, and it took everything in me not to let what I felt show in any way. One mistake a day was enough.

  “He was as devoted to his children as I am to mine,” she continued. “We both understood our children would be our future source of happiness. Thus, the day he received word of his wife’s death, he came to me. As Margaret’s cousin and a widow myself, he knew that I would be able to offer our children the protection they might need in his absence.”

  The Prince glanced at Cecilia and Porcia before his gaze landed on me. There was something in the depths of that look—a knowing, perhaps—that had me sitting straighter as he focused on Maeve again.

  “And to where did Mr. Cartwright disappear? It seems odd he abandoned his children, you claim he loved well, so soon after losing his wife.”

  “Alas, his grief for his lost wife was greater than his love for the children they created.”

  Maeve’s words echoed closely what I’d thought, myself. Yet, I hated her desperately for voicing such a lie, now, when we both knew it not to be true.

  “He saw too much of Margaret in his children. I believe he sought to escape the reminder of what has now been lost to him.”

  “You do not seem upset by the news of your cousin’s death,” the Prince commented.

  She shrugged slightly.

  “I’ve suffered loss and know how the passing of time can dull the sharp edges of grief’s pain. Atwell will learn that too, and if he is able, he will return.”

  “Why do you think he might not be able?”

  “Before he left, he confided his plans to attempt to reestablish a trade route through the Dark Forest. Though I tried to dissuade him of the notion with a more suitable escape from pain, he was determined.”

  “Dare I ask what a more suitable escape would be?”

  “Not in present company, Your Highness. While I’m a widow and well versed in what happens in a man’s world, my daughters have been sheltered from such knowledge.”

  “Ah. I see.”

  His gaze once again swept over us before Kaven returned with flutes of wine.

  “Thank you, Kaven.”

  “Of course, Your Highness. Dinner awaits your command.”

  Kaven served Maeve her drink first, leaving me for last. When he faced me, he smiled warmly and winked again. I tried to ignore him, but the wink made my heart race.

  “Kaven has spoken highly of you, Eloise,” the Prince said, calling my attention as Kaven left the room again. “I now feel the need to apologize to you for our first meeting.”

  Porcia choked on her drink and jerked her head toward me. Cecilia was subtler in her shock.

  “First meeting, Your Highness?” Maeve asked.

  Fear settled into the pit of my stomach.

  “Eloise didn’t tell you? I’m surprised. I would have thought she would have needed the comfort of a loved one after such a terrifying experience.”

  I could barely breathe. Though his concern and expression indicated genuine concern, the words were too provoking. It was almost as if he’d known I hadn’t shared our meeting with Maeve. But, he couldn’t possibly know the consequences of such a slip. Never had I been more grateful for the spell protecting me than at that moment. But what of Kaven?

  Finding my voice, I grasped for the words that would salvage the situation.

  “While I did indeed share my adventure in the dungeons with my family, I graciously omitted your involvement in hopes that you would make amends in person since we are neighbors. I didn’t think an apology for dragging an innocent girl into your dungeon would take so long, though.”

  Silence reigned the room a moment before he laughed.

  “I’m gladdened to see your time there did not dull the fire of your wit and sharp tongue.” He strode toward me and offered his arm.

  “Allow me to escort you to dinner to make up for my boorish behavior.”

  Having little choice, I stood and accepted. When he placed his hand over mine, I couldn’t be sure whether it was due to him feeling my tremble of fear or just courtesy. We walked before the rest, leading the way to the dining room. I didn’t note anything along the way. Instead, my fate when we returned home gripped my mind.

  Kaven was there to pull out Maeve’s chair as the Prince assisted me to mine. He was also the one who directed the rest of the staff to serve us.

  The first course passed in relative silence. It gave me enough time to collect my thoughts and drive the conversation in a way that might just save Kaven from any harm.

  “Did any maids catch your attention at the ball?” I asked bluntly.

  “Eloise,” Maeve said sharply.

  The Prince chuckled.

  “Do not let her direct nature concern you, mistress. My youth was filled with stories of her mother’s similar directness. Therefore, I would expect no less from Eloise.”

  “You’re too kind, Your Highness,” Maeve said softly. I could hear the threat in her sweetness, though.

  “What did you think of the ball?” he asked me.

  “I prefer to keep my opinion of the balls to myself.”

  He laughed.

  “It is far too late for you to withhold your thoughts now.”

  “Yes, Eloise,” Maeve said. “Please, do entertain us with your thoughts.”

  “It seems silly to host balls where hundreds of women will vie for your attention when there are other means to get to know your prospective bride.”

  “Quite right,” Cecilia said. “For example, intimate dinners such as this are much more conducive to conversation. Though I did so enjoy dancing with you at the first ball.”

  The Prince looked at Cecilia with a slightly puzzled frown.

  “Perhaps Eloise is right about the balls being a fruitless endeavor. For my life, I cannot recall dancing with you. Although, I must admit my feet are still sore today from all the partners I twirled around the room.”

  Cecilia flushed slightly, her embarrassment, or perhaps anger, showing at his lack of recognition.

  “You danced with
me as well,” Porcia said. “And I sympathize with your plight. There were a great many ladies in attendance but so few men. It might behoove you to encourage more males to attend the next one so the line of maids waiting for your attention isn’t so long.”

  “Are you suggesting that the maids attending would rather not catch my attention?”

  Porcia flushed scarlet.

  “I believe my sister was only offering a suggestion that might alleviate your woefully overused feet,” I said. “However, it is also wise for you to recognize that not every maid might desire to wed a Prince.”

  The Prince glanced at me.

  “Wise indeed,” he murmured. “Tell me more of yourself, Eloise. What is it you like to do with your free time?”

  “I’m quite dull, Your Majesty, and prefer to spend my idle time lost in a book.”

  “Or walking amongst the trees while listening to birds sing?” the Prince asked.

  I glanced at Kaven, who stood off to the side of the room, near Maeve. He flashed me a quick smile, and I scowled before I could stop myself. His loose lips were going to cost us both dearly.

  “While I grieve for my mother, yes, I walk among the trees,” I said. “Cecilia, what do you most enjoy doing with your idle time since coming to the estate? And what do you miss most about your old home?”

  She artfully kept the conversation centered on her interests while the servants cleared our dishes for the next course. I inhaled the scent of perfectly cooked meat, and my mouth watered as my dish was set before me. A small, oblong loaf sat amidst a pool of gravy and roasted root vegetables.

  “Cut into the bread,” Kaven said, watching me.

  Maeve glanced at me as well, a calculating look in her eye. Kaven needed to stop showing his interest in me.

  “Kaven, why don’t you help her?” the Prince suggested when I didn’t move.

  Kaven circled the table and leaned over me to cut my meat. I looked at the Prince with a smile.

  “Thank you. It’s a new dish for me. What is it called?”

  “I haven’t the faintest notion.”

  “Beef in a Blanket,” Kaven said, close enough to my ear to send a shiver chasing down my spine. He placed my fork near my hand and stepped away.