I didn’t call out again, just creeping quietly until I came to another spiral staircase. Now, the light was coming from below—accompanied by ethereal music.
I descended the staircase and cringed with each creak that sounded out like a beacon of my arrival. The staircase extended far below the upper platform of bookshelves, all the way to the ground floor. By the time I reached the bottom, I knew I was in a cellar. It was cool and damp and the light coming from ahead, where there was a single door about 100 paces away. It was closed, yellow light pouring out from all four edges like a rectangular eclipse.
I padded softly toward the light and stopped before reaching the door. A thumbscrew deadbolt was affixed this side of the door and a typical doorknob sat beneath that. I unlocked the deadbolt and apprehensively reached for the doorknob, by the second getting more and more frightened of what I’d find on the other side. A voice in my head was telling me to turn back, turn back. But the soft music seemed to be beckoning me forth.
As the door swung inward, I found I was entering a bedroom in the cellar, to which I could definitely relate. The room was sparsely, but nicely furnished. First, my eyes were drawn to the medical machinery, much like the units used when the doctors had come to the Ramseys’ for my check-ups. Then my eyes rested on the movement in the room’s far corner where the music was coming from; it suddenly silenced.
A girl in a wheelchair was taking great care, and with what seemed like great effort and difficulty, to change the record on an old-fashioned phonograph. She was slumped to one side and her hands shook terribly.
“Hello?” I said, keeping my voice low in an effort not to startle her.
The girl didn’t turn, but the wheelchair turned from the use of a joystick on the armrest. Even in her condition, it was plain to see she was another genetic identical—she was one of us! And then I thought about where we were and who would be locked away in this secret chamber…
“Princess Amelia?”
CHAPTER 42
T he girl gave me a half smile, and when she tried to speak, one side of her face didn’t even move.
“Where’s my mother?” she asked.
I stepped into the room, leaving the door open. “Is your mother the Queen?”
It looked like she was trying to nod, but it was hard to distinguish a deliberate movement from a tremor. Her head was cocked to one side. She seemed to have very limited control over her movements.
“Yes,” she then said when I didn’t respond to show I understood.
“Then you’re Princess Amelia, right?”
“Yes. What’s happened to my mother?”
“Nothing’s happened to her,” I said. “She’s around here somewhere.”
“She sent you? She hasn’t sent anyone to visit me—besides doctors—in so long.” Princess Amelia rolled closer to me. She was dressed in a long, thick nightgown with yellow flowers, and wore slippers. Her hair was cut short. There was saliva collecting on the corner of her mouth that wasn’t moving. “You’re so beautiful,” she whispered.
“Thank you. So are you.” I didn’t see a mirror in the room and wondered when was the last time she’d seen herself? “The Queen did not send me. I accidentally found you.”
“What is your name?”
“Victoria,” I said. “How long have you been down here?”
“Al—almost ten years.” She turned her chair to face the way she’d come. “Can you help me with my music?”
“Of course,” I said, following her to the phonograph in the corner of the room.
One record was on the floor, the other on the turntable but off-center, refusing to fall into place.
I adjusted the record and gently placed the needle onto it; more soothing instrumental music began to pour from the shell-like speaker. I picked the fallen record off the floor and found a sleeve for it on a shelf to one side of the phonograph.
“There,” I said. “You like music?”
She rolled away again. She went to her nightstand where there was a large plastic cup of water with a lid and long straw, so she could drink without picking it up.
After a sip, she turned back to me. “I don’t like the silence,” she said. “What book do you have?”
She rolled over to the dresser by the door, where I had put down my book from the library without thinking.
“Twilight,” I said. “Have you read it?”
“Yes. Several years ago. I’ve read all four of them. But my favorite is still Pride & Prejudice, which I’ve read many times. I have a hard time turning the pages. I read on here. See?”
She went to a desk with a slanted top, formed of one large piece of glass. She was able to roll right up to it, her legs fitting underneath, even from her elevated position in the wheelchair. She instructed the tabletop to “wake up” and it came alive—it was in fact entirely a screen. From there, what looked like open pages of a book appeared. She then said, “Next page,” and the page on the screen simulated flipping the page of a real book.
“It’s really something,” I said, taking a closer look. The Ramseys had a computer, but all the actions were performed through a keyboard. Before coming here, the doctors visiting me throughout the years were the only ones I’d seen to carry little tablets with touchscreens resembling this one. “My favorite is Pride & Prejudice too. What are the odds? Do you read a lot?”
“It’s the only time I can explore beyond these four walls anymore,” Princess Amelia said.
“I understand,” I said. “I’ve read for years as the escape from my home too.”
“Where is your home?”
“Here,” I said, still working through what I was going to tell her. “I’m your younger sister.”
“I have a sister? Why have I never heard about you before?”
“The Queen—Mother has kept us apart. I didn’t always live here. But I’ve recently been allowed to return home.”
“I have a sister… This is so…” Her facial expression did not change, but tears formed in her eyes and began to spill down her cheeks. “…amazing.”
I was almost about to cry too. “I’m sorry I haven’t visited until now.”
“But you’ll visit me again?” She tried to wipe away her tears, but her hand couldn’t seem to find her cheek.
I noticed a box of tissues on her nightstand and took one to wipe her tears away, as well as the spittle collecting at the drooping corner of her mouth.
“Every chance I get,” I said. “Can you do me a favor?”
“Yes.”
“Can you not tell the Qu—Mother I was here? I don’t know if she’ll be upset that I came to visit you—you know, since she’s kept us apart for so long. I don’t want her to take this time away from us.”
“No. I don’t want that either,” Princess Amelia said.
“Then you won’t mention I was here?”
“No.”
This poor girl before me was the one from whom I’d been created—the one from whom all the girls upstairs had been fashioned. After the Queen’s announcement the first night, I took her words at face value and figured I’d never get to meet Princess Amelia, yet here she was, as much a prisoner as the rest of us. She certainly didn’t seem in some miraculous state of recovery, but she was far from dead.
“Have you heard of Prince Byron?” I asked.
She mouthed a few words before any sound came out. “Mother has talked about him before. She’s shown me a picture. She says he’s from Easteria and I will marry him someday. I don’t know why he would want me, but she tells me he’s a very understanding man. He’s supposed to come here soon.”
She sounded skeptical, yet hopeful, and it broke my heart. “Yes, he is supposed to be coming soon,” I said, sad to be substantiating the Queen’s lies.
“Why do you ask?”
“No reason,” I said. “There’s so much going on in the world outside. I don’t know what information actually reaches you down here.”
“Just what Mother tells me,” she
said. “And now you can tell me things too.”
“Yes, as long as what I tell you stays between us. We don’t want Mother to become suspicious.”
She certainly seemed to understand, especially with her thirst for knowledge of the ever-changing world outside of her cell. I wished I could take her out of here, steal her away like I did Mina. But this was a task well beyond me—and Kale was gone, and I doubted even he would have been able to pull this off.
I gave Princess Amelia a hug before leaving and locking her room. It was so hard turning that deadbolt, but I knew it had to be done. It wasn’t like she could climb the spiral staircase on her own, but I couldn’t leave any evidence of being there. That’s when I remembered the book I’d been carrying when I ventured down. I went and retrieved it before returning to the hidden library.
Luckily, the library was still empty. I gazed up at the book that had led me to the Princess—perhaps it had always been leading me to her—and couldn’t believe what great design had been at work to fit the pieces together so perfectly.
Just then, the door in the wall opened and Piper returned, still in a mere towel wrapped over her bikini.
“I should have known you wouldn’t be coming back,” she called up to me.
“I’m sorry. This place is amazing,” I exclaimed, descending the spiral staircase.
“I knew you’d like it and just couldn’t keep it a secret.”
“But let’s not invite too many people,” I said.
“How about Bethany?”
“I’m good with Bethany.”
“Okay,” Piper said. “She’s the cut-off.”
I helped her close the wall once we were in the empty hallway, securing our new sanctuary and the secrets held within.
CHAPTER 43
I kept Piper company for a little while longer, lying by the pool. Jane and Eleanor were still on the far side collecting glasses of cocktails and getting louder with each one they emptied. When Bethany made an appearance, I excused myself to head back to my room.
While changing into a casual yellow sundress—I didn’t have Kimera around to inform me of the shade—I noticed another card tented on the desk. Assuming it was another note from Kimera, I opened the card and read what had been written inside.
Let’s disappear together. I’ll meet you in the foyer at 8 p.m. in formal attire. Wear whichever color you desire. Your humble servant.
I fell back on the bed, clutching the card to my chest, thrilled to be getting a second date so soon. My heart sang with the thought of spending another evening with Prince Byron and my thoughts raced with what he meant by let’s disappear together. Of course, I wanted to leave with him and disappear into the countryside, starting new lives for ourselves; I was sure that wasn’t what he meant in his note, but a girl could dream, couldn’t she?
I typically liked doing things for myself, but I wanted Kimera’s help for this occasion. I gave her a call and informed her of the good news, and she agreed to show up an hour before my meeting time with the Prince. She sounded as excited as I felt.
She showed up right on time. I was finishing tying my robe after a long bath when she entered the room. I picked at the little bit of food left on my room service tray, and then we went straight into hair and makeup.
“What color dress do you want?” she asked.
“Anything but yellow,” I said.
“And you said something about disappearing together?”
“Yes. The card said let’s disappear together. Whatever that means.”
Kimera thought for a moment and examined the makeup at her disposal before saying, “I think I have just the thing.”
She curled my hair, braided my bangs and looped them to the back. The smoldering eyes she created were dark and severe. The dress she chose was a long black gown with a plunging neckline, three-quarter-length, loose, lace sleeves and black crystal pickups in the skirt. Once I was in front of the full-length mirror, I hardly recognized myself. I couldn’t believe how sultry I could look with a little professional help.
“This dress will keep his eyes on you all night long,” Kimera said, stepping back to admire her work more fully. “I think it needs one more thing.”
Kimera ventured into the back corner of the closet where there was a cluster of coats, coming back with a black velvet item draped over one arm. She opened the material and placed the thick velvet cape over my shoulders. On the inside, the color was deep violet. She turned me to face her and tied a bow at my front. A loose hood hung at my back; Kimera lifted it and tucked my hair carefully inside as she placed it on my head.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“I look—dangerous,” I said.
“Yes. I like that. You’re a true siren of the night.” Kimera squared my shoulders and adjusted the cape. “You’re carrying too much stress in your shoulders. Try to relax them a little. Well, would you look at the time—not a minute to spare.”
I thanked Kimera for all her help and glided into the hallway at the stroke of eight.
Constance exited her room as I passed by her doorway and scowled as she looked me over.
“You really played up the innocent girl-next-door when you got here, but the true whore’s coming out now,” she said.
“You’re one to talk,” I snapped and kept right on walking, doing my damnedest to keep her out of my head.
When I reached the top of the curved staircase, all thoughts of Constance vanished as I saw Prince Byron standing in the foyer with a single red rose, gazing up at me. His serious expression dissolved as I cautiously descended the staircase.
“And here I thought we’d be able to disappear,” he said as I approached. “You’ll stand out wherever we go. At least I don’t have to worry about being recognized because no one’s eyes will be on me.”
“Mine will be,” I said, trying not to blush.
The Prince was wearing a black tuxedo with a long coat, white ruffled shirt, with more ruffles peeking out through the coat sleeves. He didn’t wear a tie, but kept his collar open. His muscular upper body filled out the suit coat, accentuating his broad shoulders. I had an urge to run a hand down the ruffles of his shirt and ended up evening out the cape on my shoulders to keep from doing anything embarrassing.
Prince Byron offered me the rose. “My Princess.”
“My Prince,” I said and did my best curtsy as I took the floral gift. The Governess would have been proud of my grace.
He offered me his arm and I slipped mine through.
Two staff members opened the main double-door entrance.
“Let us do our best to disappear. Shall we?”
“We shall,” I said, letting him lead me out toward the circular drive, where a black sports car awaited us.
The Prince opened the passenger door, and—as I sank into the car—he crouched next to me and pulled the seatbelt across my body, securing me in like his most prized possession. Then he took up his position in the driver’s seat; he was fully taking the lead this evening.
The beautiful little car roared to life. We crept down the drive and Prince Byron waved to the guards at the gate before zooming away. I was thrown back in my seat from the acceleration far superior to that of any horse, which brought a smile of exhilaration to my face.
“Where are we in such a rush to get to?” I asked.
“The rush is merely to get away,” he said, reaching a hand across the center console and resting it on my thigh. “The drive won’t be long. We’re going to one of the estates nearby, to a party being thrown by one of the biggest business tycoons in the Kingdom, Sir Leonard Duncan.”
“I haven’t heard of him.”
“That’s fine. He’s not a hugely public figure. But he does business past the border and all the way to Easteria. My parents have entertained him before—that’s the main reason I know who he is. But his wife, Delores, loves to throw these lavish parties.”
“I see,” I said, spinning the rose between my fingertips.
; And he was right. We’d barely left the neighborhood when he turned into another long driveway, entering a parade of other fancy cars slowly inching up to an elegantly lit estate. It wasn’t quite the Queen’s palace but was still quite impressive.
Prince Byron reached into the snug back seat and set a small paper bag in my lap. Inside were two masks, and if I didn’t know better, they were the ones we had worn to the Queen’s masquerade ball.
“Let’s disappear,” he said as he took hold of his mask. I placed mine over my face and tied it behind my head, vividly remembering the night of the Queen’s masquerade ball, when all this craziness of my new life was just beginning.
Prince Byron was now donning his mask. He looked as handsome as I’d ever seen him, which was maybe only due to my growing feelings for him. It was hard to be objective, but I didn’t care.
Both doors were opened simultaneously by the parking staff. I set the red rose on top of the dashboard and took hold of a man’s offered hand to help me from the sports car.
“Good evening and welcome, m’lady,” the man said. Like us, he also wore a mask, but his covered his entire face—as was the case with the rest of the parking attendants.
“Thank you,” I replied and found the Prince at my side in an instant.
We walked up to the main entrance arm in arm. The evening air was brisk, and I pulled at my cape to keep it over my shoulders. Each couple before us stopped at the two exquisitely dressed female staff members in black lace skeleton masks. When it was our turn, the Prince pulled an invitation from an inner coat pocket and handed it to the lady now holding a stack of them.
Once inside, the Prince was asked if he’d like to check in his coat. A small room off the foyer was being used to store everyone’s outerwear, and Prince Byron handed over his long coat. He then untied my cape, pulled down my hood, and relieved me of the layer of material allowing my body to hide at all.
As Kimera had said, he couldn’t take his eyes off me. Then there were the gazes of other men as they passed by, the attention sounding better than it currently felt. The Prince seemed to notice as well.
Royal Replicas Page 20
