Cinderella (Faerie Tale Collection)

by Jenni James

  PRAISE FOR JENNI JAMES

  Beauty and the Beast (Faerie Tale Collection)

  “Jenni James takes this well loved faerie tale and gives it a paranormal twist. Very well written and hard to put down, even on my cruise vacation where I had plenty to do. Looking forward to others in Jenni’s Faerie Tale series. A great escape!”

  —Amazon reviewer, 5-star review

  Pride & Popularity (The Jane Austen Diaries)

  “This book was unputdownable. I highly recommend it to any fan of Jane Austen, young or old. Impatiently awaiting the rest of the series.”

  —Jenny Ellis, Librarian and Jane Austen Society of North America

  “Having read several other Young Adult retellings of Pride and Prejudice - I must admit that Pride and Popularity by Jenni James is my top choice and receives my highest recommendation! In my opinion, it is the most plausible, accessible, and well-crafted YA version of Pride and Prejudice I have read! I can hardly wait to read the [next] installment in this series!”

  —Meredith, Austenesque Reviews

  “I started reading Pride and Popularity and couldn’t put it down! I stayed up until 1:30 in the morning to finish. I’ve never been happier to lose sleep. I was still happy this morning. You can’t help but be happy when reading this feel good book. Thank you Jenni for the fun night!”

  —Clean Teen Fiction

  Northanger Alibi (The Jane Austen Diaries)

  “Twilight obsessed teens (and their moms) will relate to Claire’s longing for the fantastical but will be surprised when they find the hero is even better than a vampire or werewolf. Hilarious, fun and romantic!”

  —TwilightMOMS.com

  “Stephenie Meyer meets Jane Austen in this humorous, romantic tale of a girl on a mission to find her very own Edward Cullen. I didn’t want it to end!”

  —Mandy Hubbard, author of Prada & Prejudice

  “We often speak of Jane Austen’s satiric wit, her social commentary, her invention of the domestic novel. But Jenni James, in this delicious retelling of Northanger Abbey, casts new light on Austen’s genius in portraying relationships and the foibles of human nature—in this case, the projection of our literary fantasies onto our daily experience.”

  —M.M. Bennetts, author of May 1812

  Prince Tennyson

  “After reading Prince Tennyson, your heart will be warmed, tears will be shed, and loved ones will be more appreciated. Jenni James has written a story that will make you believe in miracles and tender mercies from above.”

  —Sheila Staley, Book Reviewer & Writer

  “Divinely inspired, beautifully written—a must read!”

  —Gerald D. Benally, author of Premonition (2013)

  “Prince Tennyson is a sweet story that will put tears in your eyes and hope in your heart at the same time.”

  —Author Shanti Krishnamurty

  ALSO BY JENNI JAMES

  Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection:

  Beauty and the Beast

  Sleeping Beauty

  Rumplestiltskin

  Snow White

  Hansel and Gretel

  The Frog Prince

  The Jane Austen Diaries:

  Pride & Popularity

  Persuaded

  Northanger Alibi

  Emmalee

  Mansfield Ranch

  Sensible & Sensational

  Prince Tennyson

  Revitalizing Jane

  The Eternal Realm Series:

  Eternity

  This book is dedicated to M.M. Bennetts

  I love you!

  CHAPTER ONE

  ELLA PICKED UP THE last basket of clothing, her arms strained from attempting to carry the heavy, wet mass the twelve or so feet to the drying line. Thankfully, her stepmother had the gardener place the line closer to the house and in its shade, due to the sun lightening her clothes, or Ella would have had to walk even farther from the washing room. Most fine houses used the drying lines in the washing rooms, but Lady Dashlund preferred to have hers outside on warm days and so making the work twice as hard for Ella.

  As Ella was shaking out the last of the petticoats, she overheard her stepsister Jillian shriek.

  Oh, dear, she probably saw a mouse.

  Ella sighed and quickly snapped the lacy fabric onto the line and, tossing in the remaining pins, picked up the basket and ran toward the large manor home. No doubt they would all be in an uproar and would be upset if they could not find her.

  Another shriek and shrill rang out loud as Ella slipped her outer shoes off in the entrance near the servants’ quarters and tucked the wet apron to dry onto one of the wooden pegs mounted upon the stone wall. She could clearly hear her stepmother shouting by the time she managed to wrap another clean apron around her waist and head quickly up the servants’ stairs.

  Brushing and smoothing her dress with her hands as she went, Ella tried to remain calm. This summer had been especially difficult to keep the mice population down. The whole kingdom suffered from the vermin. And her stepmother and stepsisters seemed to take the sight of them the hardest. Ella was the only one of the four brave enough to try and catch any of them. And she had better do so quickly before their tempers got the best of her family. That was all she needed, Lady Dashlund in a foul mood. Then the whole house would pay for several days.

  As she rounded the corner into the large immaculate corridor, her feet tread upon the fine lush carpet her father had chosen. It was one of the final improvements to the house he had made—ordering those sumptuous rugs from the Orient to be lavishly displayed throughout rooms—before he passed on a few years back. Her heart lurched. Oh, how she missed that man. How there were days when she truly needed him near her.

  Ella approached the drawing room and attempted one last time to make herself presentable before she entered. She was rather surprised to hear laughter and joyous sounds coming from within. Taking a step into the room, she beheld Jillian and Lacey laughing quite loudly and dancing about together like small girls.

  Finding her stepmother across the way near the rose-colored settee, she walked up and curtsied. “Is there anything I can do for you? I heard the shouting and came as quickly as possible.”

  Lady Dashlund shooed her with a wispy white handkerchief and a rather large smile upon her face. “No, no. We are not in need of anything. We are all quite elated. You are welcome to continue with your chores, we will call you when we need you.”

  It was then that Ella noticed the small missive in her stepmother’s hand. They must have had some good news. Curious, but not willing to risk Lady Dashlund’s wrath, she simply said, “Yes, milady.” Ella nodded her head and dipped into a short curtsy and turned to go.

  “No.” Miss Lacey Dashlund halted in mid twirl and put her foot down to catch her balance. “Ella cannot go just yet. We do need her, Mother, think, the duke is coming here in only a few minutes. We need everything to look splendid! He is coming! He is coming! And this time—this time I shall finally secure him.” Lacey squealed and shrieked loudly and then picked up her sister’s arm and began dancing about again.

  “Girls, enough,” scolded Lady Dashlund, though she was smiling. “It is time you freshen up and stop gallivanting around or you will be quite flushed when he comes.”

  Miss Dashlund twirled Jillian out in a final spin and then giggled with her as they stopped their play. “Oh, is it not the most glorious day?” She smiled beautifully and waltzed her way to the settee all the way to her mother and clasping her hands within her own.

  “Yes. It is.” Lady Dashlund grinned down at her daughter before turning toward Ella. “Will you please let cook know to send up tea for us as soon as the duke arrives—and make sure she
adds a little something special—something to make him stay this time.”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, and when you are through, please sweep off the front step. We do not want him walking up to the house when it looks such a sight.”

  “Yes, milady.” She curtsied then and rushed from the room. She would have to be quick to clean off the whole of the front steps before the duke arrived. Lord Gavenston rarely came late. In fact, more often than not, he was early.

  She hoped for his sake and Lacey’s that her stepsister would not blunder this meeting like she had previously. Ella winced. Lacey was always incredibly graceful—unless His Grace was around—and then, quite simply, she became a bumbling buffoon, and would somehow or another cause great catastrophes when he was near. Hopefully this time, all will be well. Ella crossed her fingers for luck just in case. After all, the sooner Miss Dashlund was gone from the house, the fewer chores Ella would have to do for her silly stepsister.

  ***

  “OH, NO! YOU ARE not getting me to step foot into that house.” His Royal Highness Prince Anthony chuckled as he drew in the reins on the beautiful horse, causing him to stop in his tracks about a half mile down the road that would eventually lead them to Lady Dashlund’s rather exquisite manor. The manor, he could tolerate; it was the family that made him shudder.

  “But you promised,” Lord Gavenston replied, drawing his rather fine black in as well.

  Anthony shook his head. “No, I did not. I promised to accompany you on some errands, Cousin. I did not promise to waltz myself into that home and be prodded and fawned over like some ninny. Why, those girls could cool the east, lowering the temperature a whole two degrees with their eyelash fluttering alone.” The prince ridiculously fluttered his lashes in the midst of the most glorious of roadways. With fine green hills and rows of delicious apple and sturdy oak trees, some of the greatest lanes in all of the kingdom. And here the prince was—looking the fool instead of enjoying the marvelous countryside.

  Zedekiah laughed. “You are quite awful, you know.”

  “I kno-ow!” he replied in a singsong voice. The type of voice reserved for pantomimes.

  “And you look like a nincompoop.” He clicked his tongue and tapped his mount to press onward. “I, for one, would rather not wish to be seen with you anyway if you are to act this way.”

  “I cannot. I simply cannot do it,” Anthony replied as he tapped his horse as well. “My mother would have my head if she knew I had even spoken to them, let alone stepped in their house—and you know it!”

  “This is why I had to sneak you away so you would accompany me.” Zedekiah looked over as Anthony came up. “You know the queen forces me to run these errands because she and Lady Dashlund were schoolgirls together. You know she does it to pay particular courtesy to her longtime friend. But she would rather be seen dead than conversing with the woman. Which is why the duke must be her go-between. And honestly, I wish anything—anything other than this task.”

  “I pity you, but I cannot risk it. They would devour me in a heartbeat.”

  “Come! You have not been here for ages—a good five years at least. They may have grown since then.”

  The prince crowed. “Yes, and this is why you need me to hold your hand. Because they are such proper ladies and behave so well! No, my mother has told me the anecdotes that family has caused the royal castle alone. I have sheets and sheets written to me of nonsense this Miss Dashlund has done—do you have any idea how much it cost my mother to host them the last time they came? The amount of shrubs she had to replace because of that girl’s foolishness?”

  “Which is why I need someone with me now. I would rather come out of there in one piece!” Zedekiah begged, “Please, come in?”

  Anthony stared at him as their horses rounded the corner of the lane. The great house was about forty feet in front of them. He looked up and then reached over—his hand waving his cousin to a halt. “Who is that on the steps?” he asked quietly as both horses stopped.

  “I do not know.” Anthony peered at the girl he was pointing to. “It looks like a maid of some sort. Why?”

  “Because I could have sworn it was Ella.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  “ELLA?” ZEDEKIAH ASKED.

  Anthony smiled. “Yes, Eleanoria Woodston, Lord Dashlund’s daughter.”

  “Who? I only know of Miss Dashlund—Lacey, I believe, and Jillian, the younger one, his stepdaughters. There is a third?”

  “Precisely. No one has heard of her in years—and so has forgotten she existed. But I do not. She was the only girl who could outride me during the summer festivals, do you remember? When we were about eleven or twelve or so, how she would boast about it and make everyone angry?”

  “More likely just make you angry. We were all laughing. But, yes, I do remember now. The only girl who could outstrip the prince in any event.” He chuckled.

  “Yes, but she did not know I was the prince then. Father would have whipped me good if he knew you and I were creeping out in the stable boys’ clothing and dirt to be amongst them all.”

  Zedekiah laughed. “Risking our necks was not on our parents’ agendas for the festivities, no.”

  “Precisely. Which is why we would have to slip out to have the fun. Who enjoyed being in a castle looking down at the village below, when you could be down there experiencing it all?”

  “Oh, how I miss those days!” Zedekiah twisted on his saddled. “Of course, now you have lost your adventurous streak, have you not? You will not even go into a house to say hello to your old friends.”

  “Hush. Listen to me.” He rode his horse a pace or two closer. “I do believe it is Ella. Though why is Lord Dashlund’s daughter dressed like a servant? And why has no one heard of her in ages? Something is not right here and I want to get to the bottom of it.” He waited until Zedekiah approached. “I will have an adventure, just not the one you would want me to. Do me a favor, do not announce to her who I am. And especially do not let the family know I am with you as well. Tell them you came with an outrider of some sort if you must.”

  Zedekiah’s eyes met the prince. If he remembered correctly, Anthony protested way too much about liking the feisty Ella all those years ago. Perhaps this was exactly what the stubborn man needed to bring him out of his dismal mood.

  “Go in alone and I will keep Ella company out here,” Anthony said.

  He grinned. “As you wish. So, uh—what do we call you, then?”

  “Do you not remember? I always went by my middle name among the villagers.”

  “Ah, yes! Jonathan. Good, ol’ John. My, er, outrider.”

  “Precisely.”

  Ella glanced up and saw the men approaching. Oh, dear, she was not even halfway through with the sweeping. Her stepmother would be livid. As quickly as possible, she swept what she could, and left the white marbled steps, going around to the back of the home, near where the duke was climbing off his saddle and handing the reins to the stable boy. The other man did so as well.

  She ignored them both as she walked past the stables to the washing room and hung the outdoors broom upon its peg in there. Her mind too preoccupied with her chores to be overly concerned about any of the visitors that came to the home. Soon she would have to begin ironing the clothes that were on the line now, but her stepsisters’ bedrooms would need to be attended first while they were preoccupied. Brushing her hands upon her apron, she walked out of the room and came flush up to the man who had just come with the duke.

  “You startled me!” she gasped, her hand flying to her chest.

  “I am sorry, I did not mean to.” The man bowed and came back up, his dark brown eyes sparkling.

  Those eyes looked vaguely familiar. She glanced over his sandy, darkish-blond hair but there was no recognition, other than he was probably about her age, or just a year or two older.

  “When I saw you, I had to come and say hello to my old opponent.”

  “Your old opponent?” She took a step back. “Do I kn
ow you?”

  “Frankly, I am surprised you do not remember me. I would know you, Eleanoria Woodston, anywhere. My biggest rival at every festival race when we were children.” He grinned down, his gaze taking in her lively blue eyes and light brown hair. Even though she was dressed plainly, he could see she had become a very attractive woman.

  She took a step back, her hand going wildly out to the white doorframe. For a brief moment, he watched a smile play upon her lips until she looked behind him and clamped her mouth shut. “I do not know who you mean. And I am sure we have never met before.” She curtsied quickly and said, “Good day, sir,” before brushing past him. “Hello, Hansen. Are you feeling well today?”

  Turning in her direction, Anthony was startled to see her speaking to an old man just behind him.

  “Aye, Miss. Thank you. My rheumatism has not acted up at all this morning.”

  “That is good to hear. You make sure you use that oil at least twice a day. I would not want Lady Dashlund to find out. Please let me know if you need anything. Come to me first.” She placed a hand on his shoulder. “Please?”

  His craggy smile lit up his worn features. “Aye, Miss. Only a fool would go to your step—uh—” he stopped mid-sentence, the old man’s glance looking straight at Anthony before he finished lamely, “—er, Lady Dashlund first.”

  Anthony watched Ella’s head nod a short nod and saw the man smile once more; she appeared to whisper something to him before the two parted. The prince waited for her to turn around and address him again, but she did not. Instead, she hurriedly made her way to the back of the house—no doubt going through the servants’ entrance.

  “Wait, Ella!” he called out as he rushed toward her.

  She stopped and turned on her heal. “Shh!” she shushed him. “What do you want from me?”

  “Nothing. A moment of your time, perhaps.”

  She placed a hand on her hip and looked over to the outbuildings. “I cannot right now, I am extremely busy.”