Read Online Moonlight and Ashes by Sophie Masson - Free Book Online

myface, Maria said gently, ‘But it would equally work with something very simple, say a single rose at the breast – pale yellow or white.’
    â€˜Yes,’ I said, ‘there are early roses in the greenhouse.’
    â€˜The very thing, then. Flowers on a young and pretty woman can look just as effective as jewels and can be much more charming,’ said Maria, firmly. I nearly laughed, because to look at the pair of us, you wouldn’t think we were kitchen servant and scullery maid, but society ladies discussing the latest fashion. Instead, I said, ‘You are wonderful, Maria, and I am so grateful and so honoured that you are my friend.’
    â€˜Get on with you, girl,’ she said, a little shyly, ‘and get yourself back to that house before they begin to miss you.’
    â€˜Miss me ? Them ? Never,’ I said, gaily. ‘If I vanished in a puff of smoke I daresay they’d all be glad.’
    Maria shook her head sadly and said, ‘It’s a disgrace, that’s what I say, and it’s time it was stopped. I’d bet a week’s wages that once that Prince sets eyes on you, everything will change.’
    I didn’t say that I couldn’t give two hoots about the Prince to a romantic like Maria – who was I to pour cold water on that? Then she said, worriedly, ‘Oh dear, I’ve just had a thought – shoes. What are we going to do about shoes?’
    â€˜I’ll swipe a pair from Babette’s shoe cupboard,’ I said. ‘She’s the same size as me and has dozens of pairs – she probably doesn’t even remember them all.’
    â€˜Very well. But try and get something that matches the dress, nothing too showy,’ said my new fashion adviser, pursing her lips.
    â€˜No, I won’t, I promise.’ I took the dress off and Maria wrapped it in tissue then brown paper and wedged it firmly in my basket under the cloth I had carried to cover the box of sugared almonds.
    â€˜Thank you so much, dear Maria,’ I said and then I kissed her on both cheeks and left with her last-minute advice to dab a little rose-based perfume or, failing that, a little rose water behind my ears and at my wrists and neck.

I only just had time to sneak into my room and hide the dress under my bed before I was summoned by Mrs Jager. She told me that my stepmother had sent for me and I was to get up there at once. When I went into Grizelda’s room I found her alone, seated at her dressing table, wearing a velvet wrap, her hair up in curling papers and her face thickly painted with a white clay mask. ‘Yes, Lady Grizelda?’ I said meekly.
    â€˜I was thinking about you,’ my stepmother said, rubbing cream into her hands, her eyes on me in the mirror.
    I swallowed. What was coming couldn’t be good. Before I could reply, she stunned me by going on, ‘I was thinking you might want to come to the ball, too.’
    I couldn’t speak.
    â€˜Well, Selena? Speak up, girl.’
    â€˜I . . . I –’
    â€˜Do you or don’t you?’
    My heart was thudding and, my head spinning, I murmured, ‘I . . . yes. Yes, I do.’
    â€˜I see.’ My stepmother smiled. ‘Then of course, my dear, you must go.’
    I stared at her. I could not believe my ears. ‘Do you . . . mean it?’
    â€˜Of course I do, Selena.’
    My legs felt like jelly. ‘What does Father say?’
    â€˜Nothing, for the present. This is just between you and me.’
    â€˜Babette and Odette . . .’
    â€˜Between you and me,’ she repeated, with a touch of temper.
    â€˜Oh, I . . .’
    â€˜There is a problem, though,’ she said as she spun around to look at me. ‘If you’d told me before that you wanted to go, we could have had a dress made for you.’
    â€˜If I had told you?’ I stammered.
    â€˜Don’t be Little Miss Echo, Selena. If you had