Read Online Sinderella by Tara Brown, Sophie Starr - Free Book Online
Authors: Tara Brown, Sophie Starr
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could hide, easily.
I stood, clutching the letter and my small friend. I took a long look at the room where I had spent many miserable nights, sent to freeze as a punishment for asking for more food or playing instead of working.
My father had always meant for it to be a room that I could sit in and play , on hot summer days. He had never intended for it to be a room where I would suffer endlessly.
I blew the candle out and turned from the room, taking the stairs softly.
When I got to the kitchen Abbi passed me a bag.
I looked down. “There is a crystal shoe under the back stairs. If the prince ever comes here, tell him who I am and that I never meant to hurt him. Don’t let them force Angelique on him. Tell him it was me that night.”
Tears spilled from her eyes as she nodded. “I love you,” she whispered.
“Thank you for my life, Abbi. You saved me.” I took the bag and walked out the back door. When my feet hit the gravel, they ran. I ran hard, taking the same road I had when I had come home from the castle.
I held Gus tightly, not too tight but enough that I didn’t fear anything because he was there, and I wasn’t alone.
The road was long and dark, but I ignored everything until I heard a carriage coming up behind me. I looked to see which way I should run, in case it was the duke but before I could flee, a man shouted, “HALT! HALT IN THE NAME OF THE KING!”
I froze. I placed Gus in my bag with my coins and bread. When the carriage drew near, the guard shouted. “It is but a servant girl, Your Grace.”
“I WISH TO SEE THEM ALL!”
I nearly wept hearing his voice. I trembled, as the carriage got closer. He opened the door, taking one look at me. “Come inside. I will not harm you.” He was my prince. Perhaps a shell of the man he had been only days before. Now he looked rough and tired.
I nodded, not certain if I should just tell him of my lies and betrayals, or if I should pretend to still be the servant girl. He sneered and I hardly recognized him. He was unshaven and drunk perhaps. He grabbed my arm and dragged me into the carriage. I was plunked onto a seat and my crystal shoe was shoved in my face. “Try it on. I know it’s foolish, but humor me.”
My lower lip trembled. He sighed. “I apologize. I have not been myself as of late. Do as I ask.” He grabbed a bottle next to him and drank from it. I could swear the panicked look on his face almost made me feel better. He needed me as much as I needed him. But if he knew the secret of my being at the castle, I would be killed.
“My lord . . .”
He nodded, taking another drink from the bottle. “Try it on. It is a unique shoe, for a unique girl.”
I lifted my foot and pulled off my filthy shoe. I slid the crystal shoe on my foot with ease, as it had been made for me.
He sighed. “I know. It doesn’t fit, right? It never fits. My father thinks I have gone mad. He thinks there was no such girl, but I know others saw her.” He gazed out of the open door to the carriage and sighed again. He was reliving something. It brought tears to my eyes to see him this way.
I hated myself for what I had done to him. I lifted my foot. “It fits, my lord.”
He looked at me, scrutinizing my every feature, and yet, still anxious. He tossed the bottle out the carriage door and grabbed my hands. He pulled me to him, smelling my hair and caressing my neck with his lips. “Are you the girl?”
“Yes, my lord.”
He shook his head. “How? How is it possible? How are you a peasant? What magic is this? What is your name?”
“Ella Angleton.” I started to tremble, desperate for words, but all I found were tears.
He pulled me back. “It is you! Ella, tell me I am not confused and that you are real.”
I nodded my head, clutching to the bag in my hands. The hot tears flooded my eyes.
“The duke—you were to marry the duke? You are a peasant—how could a duke marry a girl like you?” His words had turned to mad ramblings. “Angleton,
I stood, clutching the letter and my small friend. I took a long look at the room where I had spent many miserable nights, sent to freeze as a punishment for asking for more food or playing instead of working.
My father had always meant for it to be a room that I could sit in and play , on hot summer days. He had never intended for it to be a room where I would suffer endlessly.
I blew the candle out and turned from the room, taking the stairs softly.
When I got to the kitchen Abbi passed me a bag.
I looked down. “There is a crystal shoe under the back stairs. If the prince ever comes here, tell him who I am and that I never meant to hurt him. Don’t let them force Angelique on him. Tell him it was me that night.”
Tears spilled from her eyes as she nodded. “I love you,” she whispered.
“Thank you for my life, Abbi. You saved me.” I took the bag and walked out the back door. When my feet hit the gravel, they ran. I ran hard, taking the same road I had when I had come home from the castle.
I held Gus tightly, not too tight but enough that I didn’t fear anything because he was there, and I wasn’t alone.
The road was long and dark, but I ignored everything until I heard a carriage coming up behind me. I looked to see which way I should run, in case it was the duke but before I could flee, a man shouted, “HALT! HALT IN THE NAME OF THE KING!”
I froze. I placed Gus in my bag with my coins and bread. When the carriage drew near, the guard shouted. “It is but a servant girl, Your Grace.”
“I WISH TO SEE THEM ALL!”
I nearly wept hearing his voice. I trembled, as the carriage got closer. He opened the door, taking one look at me. “Come inside. I will not harm you.” He was my prince. Perhaps a shell of the man he had been only days before. Now he looked rough and tired.
I nodded, not certain if I should just tell him of my lies and betrayals, or if I should pretend to still be the servant girl. He sneered and I hardly recognized him. He was unshaven and drunk perhaps. He grabbed my arm and dragged me into the carriage. I was plunked onto a seat and my crystal shoe was shoved in my face. “Try it on. I know it’s foolish, but humor me.”
My lower lip trembled. He sighed. “I apologize. I have not been myself as of late. Do as I ask.” He grabbed a bottle next to him and drank from it. I could swear the panicked look on his face almost made me feel better. He needed me as much as I needed him. But if he knew the secret of my being at the castle, I would be killed.
“My lord . . .”
He nodded, taking another drink from the bottle. “Try it on. It is a unique shoe, for a unique girl.”
I lifted my foot and pulled off my filthy shoe. I slid the crystal shoe on my foot with ease, as it had been made for me.
He sighed. “I know. It doesn’t fit, right? It never fits. My father thinks I have gone mad. He thinks there was no such girl, but I know others saw her.” He gazed out of the open door to the carriage and sighed again. He was reliving something. It brought tears to my eyes to see him this way.
I hated myself for what I had done to him. I lifted my foot. “It fits, my lord.”
He looked at me, scrutinizing my every feature, and yet, still anxious. He tossed the bottle out the carriage door and grabbed my hands. He pulled me to him, smelling my hair and caressing my neck with his lips. “Are you the girl?”
“Yes, my lord.”
He shook his head. “How? How is it possible? How are you a peasant? What magic is this? What is your name?”
“Ella Angleton.” I started to tremble, desperate for words, but all I found were tears.
He pulled me back. “It is you! Ella, tell me I am not confused and that you are real.”
I nodded my head, clutching to the bag in my hands. The hot tears flooded my eyes.
“The duke—you were to marry the duke? You are a peasant—how could a duke marry a girl like you?” His words had turned to mad ramblings. “Angleton,
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