“Oh, there’s so much to do,” Katie fretted.
I rested my hand on her shoulder. “I’ll help you.”
“Thank you, but you should be attending the ball too.”
“No, my place is to stay here and help you. Besides, in my dreams, I have a perfect picture of what it would be like, and I don’t want the truth to ruin it.”
Katie smiled. “In your dream, are all the princes tall and handsome, while all the other women in attendance are horridly unattractive?”
I laughed. “Yes. There would be no wicked stepmothers and no stepsisters, and the true Cinderella would win Prince Charming’s heart.”
Katie held a hand to her mouth, restraining her giggles. “You live in a storybook world, Miss Brinlee.”
More than you know.
“The world seems more magical when you see it as a fairy tale,” I said. “But the real magic is when someone wins your heart.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
“I’m sure you’ve already won Krys’s heart.”
Katie’s cheeks went pink. “He only sees me as a dimwitted child.”
“He does not. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
She scrunched her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
“He watches you when you’re in the same room, and he stares when you’re leaving a room, just so he can watch you a little longer without you noticing.”
Now Katie’s cheeks were scarlet. “He does not.”
“Yes, he does.”
“I don’t believe it.” She shook her head.
“You better believe it, and you better take action before Henry continues to express his affection and gives Krys the wrong idea.”
Katie stuck out her tongue. “Henry is a portly mound of cheese.”
I laughed at her description of the revolting man. She was a quiet girl but had quite a quirky sense of humor, especially for this era.
“Just be a bit friendlier towards Krys the next time you see him,” I suggested. “And when you’re walking out of a room, peek over your shoulder. When you see him staring at you, you’ll know I’m not lying.”
“Do you really think he fancies me?” Her eyes held all the hope of a young girl in love.
“Yes, I do.”
“Have you ever been in love, Miss Brinlee?”
Katie’s question shouldn’t have caught me off guard, and it irritated me that I immediately thought of Dennan, the man who hadn’t returned since he kissed me and used me.
Had I ever been in love? No. And I wasn’t in love with Dennan, either. I was smitten by his good looks, and I would never forget the way he kissed me, but it wasn’t love.
Why am I even deliberating over this issue?
“No,” I replied finally, “but I know what love is supposed to feel like. I’ve lived my whole life searching for that perfect love—the kind that’s written about in storybooks.”
“I’ll have to read some of those storybooks you’re always talking about.”
I smiled to myself, thinking that Katie was smack dab in the middle of a story right now.
“Katie!” Lady Catherine’s shout from the dining room shattered the peace in the air.
And just like that, my relaxing conversation with Katie ended, and our busy morning began. The two of us obeyed every command of the ladies of the house. By the time they climbed into the carriage, with Sir William as escort and Sir Henry as chauffeur, the three women looked stunning.
After they left for the ball, Katie and I had to clean up. The bedrooms looked like war zones instead of gentlewomen’s private abodes. Katie and I scrubbed until everything shined.
Finally, long after the sun had set, I sat at the kitchen table, exhausted. It was probably an hour past midnight, but my mind was too worked up to let me sleep. I was alone—except for the dog Fred, who slept at my feet.
I sat with my chin propped in one of my hands, imagining how it would have been to go to the ball and meet Prince Charming. My eyes brimmed with tears. Too tired to try to control my emotions, I hung my head and watched the tears drop to my dirty apron.
Come on, Brinlee, stop being such a baby. I held my head up. Happy face, I commanded silently.
I wiped my face. I wasn’t going to cry anymore, and I wasn’t going to lose any more sleep over something I couldn’t control. Tomorrow was another day—not today or yesterday, but a new day.
I stood and opened the kitchen door. Lady Catherine and her daughters would soon return from the ball, and I needed energy to face their pompous attitudes again. A short walk and some fresh air would do the trick.
The darkness outside enveloped me with peace. The moon lent just enough light so I could see to meander through the gardens. Eventually, I ended up at the edge of the cliff, looking out across the sparkling water. The moon’s glowing outline reached from the water’s edge and dove across the sea’s ripples into the deep horizon.
Lost in the beauty, I raised my left hand as if placing it on the shoulder of a dance partner, then positioned my other hand in the air to grasp my imaginary partner’s hand. I twirled in the grass as if I was being spun in a waltz, and envisioned myself dancing with the prince at the castle.
I closed my eyes to picture the moment more clearly. Just like all of the books and movies about Cinderella, there was an orchestra playing music, a king and queen sitting on their thrones, dance partners floating across the floor, and a handsome prince holding me and guiding me across the room.
When my imaginary dance ended, I curtsied and spoke to my imaginary prince, “Thank you, Your Highness.”
Over the sound of the waves softly colliding with the sandy beach, I heard a stick crack a few yards behind me. I turned and was astonished when none other than Dennan stood behind me.
Chapter 15
Cinderella
Germany, 1812
She kneeled down in the ashes next to the hearth and was about to begin her work when two white pigeons flew in through the window. They lit on the hearth next to the lentils. Nodding their heads, they said, “Cinderella, do you want us to help you sort the lentils?”
“Yes,” she answered. “The bad ones go into your crop, the good ones go into the pot.”
And peck, peck, peck, peck, they started at once, eating up the bad ones and leaving the good ones lying. In only a quarter of an hour there was not a single bad lentil among the good ones, and she brushed them all into the pot.
Then the pigeons said to her, “Cinderella, if you would like to see your sisters dancing with the prince, just climb up to the pigeon roost.” She followed them and climbed to the top rung of the ladder to the pigeon roost. There she could see into the hall, and she saw her sisters dancing with the prince. Everything glistened by the glow of a thousand lights. After she had seen enough, she climbed back down. With a heavy heart she lay down in the ashes and fell asleep.
The Shock of Seeing Him
By the faint light of the moon, I could see Dennan smiling in amusement. “Please don’t stop,” he said. He wasn’t wearing his mask, and his hair was combed back. He wore a different set of clothes, including a dark vest. Of course, his shirt was halfway unbuttoned in true rogue style.
I barely held back my tears of frustration. “Go away, Dennan.”
“I missed you,” he said with a grin.
“Ha! I haven’t seen a sign of you for two days, and now you have the nerve to say you missed me? You’re probably going to say you couldn’t stop thinking about me. Oh wait, you already used that one.”
He walked toward me in hurried strides. I tried to step away, but he grabbed my arm. I flinched at the familiar thrill that shot through my body.
“I’m sorry, Brinlee,” he said, sounding so sincere. “I had some business to take care of.”
Some business to take care of? Did he mean highwayman business? Realizing that might be the case, I pushed aside my anger and disappointment. After all, everyone had to work, right?
We stood so close I had to lean my head back to look at Dennan’s face. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
His grin returned. “It sounds like you missed me too.”
“I didn’t say that. I’m just saying I was disappointed you didn’t have the good manners to visit me after our last encounter.”
“Encounter? Is that what you call it?” He smirked. “In that case, would you demonstrate to me what an encounter is? Because I might have forgotten.”
I lowered my eyes self-consciously.
“It’s true that I can’t stop thinking about you,” he said softly. “Even though I was away, my heart and mind stayed here with you.”
Is he saying what I think he’s saying?
Dennan grabbed my hands and brought them up to his lips. Too late, I remembered my blistered hands and tried to pull them away, embarrassed at how rough they must feel. But he firmly held my hands in place.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’ve been working and have a lot of blisters on my hands.”
“They’re hard-working hands,” he replied.
“Exactly. They’re not the hands of a gentlewoman.”
He kissed my knuckles, and with the attention his mouth paid to my hands, my lips grew jealous.
“Did I ever tell you I don’t like soft, gentlewomen’s hands?” Dennan asked. “They’re not practical.” He intertwined his fingers with mine. “Your hands show your ambition for life.”
His deep voice brought my gaze back to his face. Any woman would swoon over his dark eyes, his strong jaw, and his perfect lips.
“I would compare you to an autumn’s breeze,” he said in a formal tone.
I smiled. “Is that something Shakespeare said?”
“I have to admit I’ve never been interested in rhymes or poems before—they always struck me as too fancy and feminine.” Dennan moved his hand to touch my cheek. “Poets write about their blinded love and deepest longings, some attainable and others not.” He caressed my bottom lip with his thumb. “Well—” his smile grew serious “—now I know how they feel.”
My heart paused in its wild beating as I waited for him to continue. His gaze drifted to the ground.
He’s nervous. Sweet! I leaned in, closing the gap between us.
His arms slid around my waist and held me against his chest. “I’ve been a lovesick fool since I met you.”
Even if my self-doubt wanted to disbelieve him, the sincerity of his gaze showed me he was telling the truth. And with how he had consumed my thoughts, I could relate to what he was saying.
“Your beauty whispers as the wind in the trees,” he said with a wink.
“Okay, you can stop now.” I wasn’t used to men reciting poems to me.
“Your eyes, your hands.” He raised my hand and placed it on his chest above his heart. “Your lips.” He focused his gaze on my lips. His breath was warm and enticing as his mouth lingered close to mine.
Kiss me already! I wanted to shout.
Thankfully, before I fainted, he took my face in his hands and said, “I’m going to kiss you now.”
I closed my eyes and braced myself as his mouth captured mine.
Why do we close our eyes when we kiss? Why do we close our eyes when we pray? I would wonder later. Because the most wonderful and powerful things in life are unseen and are felt only with our hearts. Just like the enchantment I felt while kissing Dennan.
But back to the kiss. Everything around me vanished, and I relished in the magic of being in his arms. His hands soon moved from my face to my hair. As he tangled his fingers in my curls, goosebumps erupted along my skin.
I touched his face and could feel the muscles in his cheeks work as he kissed me. His face was smooth, not covered with rough whiskers as before. I ran my hands over the contours of his face. I loved the way he smelled—the wonderful, manly scent that was only him. It was the smell of someone who rode free, the smell of wind and trees and dirt.
Dennan’s lips parted from mine. “I know exactly how those poets felt, because I’m feelings words I’ve never felt before.” He kissed me softly and pulled back. “Look what you’ve done to me.”
“Me? What have I done?”
“I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve, and it’s entirely your fault.” He sneaked another quick kiss. “You’ve cast a magic spell on me.”
There was that witch reference again. “I’m not a witch, Dennan, and if you think I’ve cast a spell on you, you’re wrong. I’m only a girl who is stuck in the wrong place in the wrong time and is trying to find her way home.”
“That’s not what I meant,” he said with worry in his eyes. “I know you’re not a witch. But I can’t understand how you have possessed my mind so completely.”
“I bet you say that to all the girls.”
“That’s just it. You’re not like the other girls.”
“I know I’m different. It’s because I don’t belong here.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re different.”
He placed a lingering kiss on my forehead, causing me to lose my train of thought.
“Why didn’t you go to the ball tonight?” he asked suddenly.
I shrugged my shoulders. “It’s complicated.”
“Did you not want to go?”
Of course I wanted to go. “I stayed home to help the servants.”
“You didn’t answer the question.” He leaned back to look at my face. “Did you want to go?”
“I didn’t have an appropriate dress to wear.”
“Brinlee,” he said in a low tone as if scolding a young child. “Did you want to go to the ball?”
“Yes,” I finally admitted.
“What would you have said to the prince if you danced with him?”
“What?”
“You told me earlier how wonderful it would be to meet the prince, so I figured that’s who you were pretending to dance with.”
Wow, this guy is perceptive. I looked away, feeling guilty about my infatuation with the prince.
“Explain to me the fascination,” Dennan said. “Why would you dream of a spoiled, pampered prince when you could have a brave, strong man—like me?” He puffed out his chest. “Wouldn’t you want someone who could defend you with his fists instead of his nobleness?”
I giggled at the comparison. “The prince is not a spoiled, pampered coward.”
“How do you know?”
Dennan’s question had merit. How did I know the prince of Fenmore Falls was the brave and fearless Prince Charming of my dreams?
“Because he recently returned from fighting pirates.” There, that would defend the valiant prince.
Dennan chuckled. “How do you know he didn’t return home and spread rumors of the supposed battle?”
“Because he wouldn’t do that—the prince is better than that.” I hope.
“You think highly of your prince, don’t you?” he asked seriously.
“I’ve thought of him my entire life,” I admitted.
There was no getting around it. I could lie to Dennan and tell him I never wanted to meet the prince, but Prince Charming was as big a part of my dreams as the Cinderella story had always been. Dennan could take it or leave it—my whole crazy package.
“What would you have said to the prince if you had danced with him?” he asked again, this time with a touch of sadness.
“I would curtsy first.” I dipped into a bow. “Then, I would say, ‘It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness.’”
“That’s what you would say?” Dennan raised an eyebrow. “That’s what you wou
ld say to the prince of your dreams, ‘It’s an honor to meet you’?”
“Well, what would you want me to say? Would you want me to say, ‘I just noticed you look a lot like my next boyfriend’?”
It took Dennan a few seconds, but once he understood my cheesy pickup line, he laughed boisterously. I loved the way he leaned his head back, I loved the sound of his voice, and I loved the dimple in his left cheek. If possible, his boyish enthusiasm made him even more attractive.
I remembered another pickup line. “How about I say, ‘Are your legs tired, because you’ve been running through my mind all day long?’”
Dennan laughed even louder at that one. “See what I mean? You always make me smile.”
I remembered another pickup line, this one from personal experience. I was at a dance when a guy came up to me and said, “Do you mind if I hang out here until it’s safe back where I farted?” He really said that. Can you believe it? Even more unbelievable is that the guy ended up being a good friend later on. No romantic feelings were felt though, obviously. I decided not to share that story with Dennan.
“I’ve got one,” he said, surprising me. “You should say, ‘I’ve never had a dream come true until the day I met you.’”
“Ah. I like that one.”
Dennan stroked my cheek with his hand. “You’re the woman of my dreams, Brinlee.”
The sound of his voice made everything disappear—the trees, the gardens of Sherwood Manor, the ocean. We were in our own world.
“I know I’ll never measure up to your prince,” he said, “but will you dance with me?”
I'm Not Cinderella (The Princess Chronicles) Page 13
