Cinderella and the Lady (16 page)

Loud banging woke Kristina out of a deep sleep. She sat up, wiping her swollen and gritty eyes. She had forgotten to lock the French doors last night before she collapsed on her bed in tears. She cursed and rose, her body stiff and achy. Stumbling over to the doors, she walked onto the balcony, not caring her gown was wrinkled and her stays untied. In her haste to chase after Ellie, she had thrown on her dress, not bothering with decorum. Finding Ellie was all that had mattered. She had failed.

She glanced down at the ground below. Comforted that the descent wasn’t too far, she propped her elbows on the ledge and dropped her face in her hands. By the time she cut the ribbons away from the door, Ellie had disappeared. She sped down the stairs to catch her before she ran off. She didn’t get far, for the crowd surged around her, making it impossible for her to move. She then had become sick from too much champagne and the deep pain in her heart for treating Ellie so poorly. She never expected Ellie to act in such a way. The shock and anguish on Ellie’s face and the tears streaming down her cheeks destroyed at her. She had to find Ellie and make things right between them.

But she had no idea how to find her missing darling, and that left her with a conundrum.

She paced her bedroom, debating what to do next, when she spotted Ellie’s unsightly clogs and frayed stockings. Maybe she could bring those shoes around to the townspeople and see if they recognized them as Ellie’s? How many servant girls in short, ragged hair with an enchanting smile and kind eyes could be in this town? And ones with bad taste in shoes? She wouldn’t rest until she found Ellie, and if she had to go door to door to find her, so be it!

Yes, Ellie was hers and she wouldn’t let her to walk out of her life. She would get down on her knees and beg her for forgiveness if that would make it better. Once Ellie accepted her apology, the next step was figuring out a way for them to be together.

She wished she could go to her mother for advice. The duchess might be sympathetic, but she didn’t expect her mother to be that tolerant if she found out her daughter was in love with another woman.

Kristina gathered Ellie’s shoes to her chest. One of Ellie’s hair ribbons was entangled in a buckle. She rubbed the silky fabric, her eyes growing damp again. She had fallen in love for the first time in her life and had no idea what to do or how to get her precious beloved back.

She hunched over her knees in pain and whispered Ellie’s name in longing. She wouldn’t be whole again until Ellie was by her side and in her arms.

Rising, she wiped away her tears. She would get dressed and begin her search for Ellie. But she wouldn’t be going at it alone. Simon would help her.

She straightened her gown the best she could, took the clogs, and opened the door. She rushed down the hallway to Simon’s room. She didn’t have any guilt about waking her brother, and when she reached his door, she knocked, waited a few beats, and swung the door open to walk inside.

What she saw in Simon’s bed made her drop the shoes and slap her hands over her mouth. Her face flamed in embarrassment. Simon was naked and wasn’t alone. Not only did he have an equally naked woman sleeping next to him, but an equally naked man snuggled up against his back with his arms draped around him. Simon snored and turned, facing the other man—who, dear lord, was her brother’s tailor!—and cupped the man by the back of his neck and kissed him. The woman snuggled up against Simon and yawned.

“Mina de Saltin?” Kristina asked in a high voice, blinking away the shocking scene before her.

Mina yelped and threw the sheet over her head.

Simon broke away from Mr. Lyons and sat up. His mouth fell open as he stared at her.

“Simon Christian Perrault, cover yourself!” she ordered and pointed a finger in the direction of his lap where his male genitalia was openly displayed.

He grabbed the pillow behind him and set it upon his lap. Mr. Lyons sat up and also covered his manhood with a pillow. He nodded in her direction, yawning loudly.

“Had too much to drink last night, brother?” she asked, and grabbing Simon’s robe hanging in front of his closet, threw it at him.

He caught it and pulled it on. He whispered something to his male bedmate and climbed out of the bed. Mina remained hidden under the covers.

“I could say this isn’t what it seems, but it is,” he said and ran his hands through his hair. He peered over his shoulder at the bed. Mina’s face peeked out from under the sheet. Noah leaned over, speaking softly to her.

“Really, Simon? With your tailor? I can understand Miss de Saltin in your bed, but as for the other…” She waved her hand around at a loss for words.

Simon cupped his elbow as he rubbed his fingers across his mouth. “His name is Noah and I love him. We’ve been having an affair for three years now.”

“You really do love me?” Noah asked, sitting back up.

Simon turned and gave him a soft smile. “How could you even ask? I’ve loved you from the first moment we kissed.”

“And what about me?” Mina muttered and lifted her head over the sheet.

“I adore you,” Simon responded and rested his hand against his chest.

Kristina crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “I don’t have time for this. Something horrible has happened. Now that I know your dirty little secret, you must do whatever I ask.”

Simon gave her a glare of foreboding. “And if I don’t, you’ll snitch to mother and father?”

She slapped her arms against her side. She was all bluster and no bite. She loved her brother too much to betray him to their parents. There was only so much they would be able to take, especially if they learned both their children had peculiar sexual tastes.

“It’s not proper for a lady of my breeding to share what may or may not happen in my brother’s bedroom. That’s on your shoulders.” She cleared throat. She glanced back at the duo on the bed who hadn’t said a word. Both stared at her in apprehension, as if they waited for the other shoe to drop.

Speaking of shoes, she got back to the matter at hand.

She picked up the clogs and thrust them at Simon. “I need to find the owner of these shoes.”

Simon curled his lip and folded his arms behind his back. “These
things
should be burned. They’re ghastly.”

“Yes, they are.” She gave the clogs a fond caress. “The woman who owns them is very special to me and I need to return them back to her.”

“Those are Ellie’s.” Noah cinched the sheet around him and rose from the bed.

“You know Ellie?” She faced the half-naked man who rested a hand on Simon’s shoulder. Simon curved an arm around Noah’s waist.

“She’s my stepsister,” Mina announced, drawing the coverlet around her. “Why in the world do you have Ellie’s shoes?”

“You can tell me where I can find her!” Excitement hummed through her body.

“Kristina, who is this woman you need to find?” Simon asked, and turned toward Mina. “Mina, love, this is the first time I’ve heard you have a stepsister.”

Mina twirled a piece of her hair around her finger. “We, I mean Mama, keeps Ellie hidden. She’s dimwitted—”

“Ellie is not dimwitted! She’s just shy and has poor self-esteem.” Kristina advanced toward the bed with one of the shoes raised in the air. How dare she say such things about her Ellie? She drew back her arm to throw the boot at Mina’s face, but Simon blocked her.

“Don’t speak to the woman I plan to marry that way.”

“She has no right to say such cruel words about the woman I love!” Kristina snarled and tossed the clogs against the wall. Mina yelped and both Noah and Simon inhaled in shock.

Kristina moaned and covered her face. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes again. She upset and out of sorts. She had to find Ellie before she had a nervous breakdown.

Simon whispered her name. She released a shaky sigh and turned around. “I’ve fallen in love, and not with a man. If mother and father find out, they may disown me or make me join a nunnery.”

“You’ll be in good company, then. They may force me to become a priest.” Simon chuckled, then grew serious. “What do you need me to do?”

“Help me find Ellie. We had a horrible fight last night and she ran away. She could be anywhere.” The plea in her voice was more than noticeable.

Simon kissed her on the forehead and held out his hand to Mina. “Come here.”

Mina obeyed, dragging the coverlet with her. She smiled blissfully up at Simon, and when she reached his side, he gave her a kiss.

“It would make me extremely happy if you could tell us where we can find your sister,” he said and gave her another kiss.

“She’s probably at home in the kitchen making breakfast for—” Mina winced. “Mama has no idea where I am! She’s going to kill me!”

“She won’t kill you when you tell her you and Simon are engaged to be married,” Noah said and grabbed his glasses from the bedside table and put them on.

“This situation of yours is beyond strange.” Kristina rubbed her aching forehead. “I’m not in my right mind right now to question this odd
friendship
you three have.”

“When you’re in a better frame of mind, I’ll explain everything. But first, let’s get dressed and we’ll go to Mina’s house,” Simon recommended.

Kristina nodded. “I can be ready in less than ten minutes. I assume it will take you longer as you try locating everyone’s clothes and who wears what.” She motioned around the room where articles of clothing had been strewn.

Simon’s neck and face grew red and Mina hid her face against his arm. Noah sat on the edge of the bed, looking bashful.

Kristina scooped the clogs off the floor. “I’ll meet you downstairs shortly,” she announced and hurried back to her room. This time she didn’t feel as if the world had come crashing down upon her head. In less than an hour she would see Ellie again. This time she wouldn’t let Ellie run away from her, and if she had to, she’d tie Ellie to a chair to keep her from escaping a second time.

* * * *

When Mina opened the front door, Kristina rushed inside. Mina called out for her to wait, but she didn’t listen and vaulted up the steps to the second level, two at a time, calling out Ellie’s name. She searched each bedroom. When she didn’t find Ellie, she ran back down the stairs.

Simon grabbed hold of her when she darted past him. “Calm down. We’ll find her if she’s here.”

“Her bedroom is next to the kitchen.” Mina pointed that direction.

Kristina wrenched away from Simon and rushed down the hall. She skirted the kitchen and found a half-opened door. Pushing it open, she eyed the small room. In the middle of the bed sat August with a mouse sitting on his back.

What in the world…?
She shook her head over the strange sight of the cat and mouse looking chummy with one another and studied the tiny room. Other than a bed and a small desk, the bedroom was woefully bare. She fisted her hands on her hips. Where could Ellie be?

Loud voices came from the front of the house. She left the room, hoping Ellie had been found.

Mina and Simon were inside the drawing room staring down at the baroness, who sat on a settee in need of a good refurbishing. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face was pale. A small wooden box sat next to her, overflowing with papers. She handed a letter to Mina.

She walked into the room. “What’s going on? Where’s Ellie?”

“Ellie no longer lives here,” the baroness said and touched her forehead. “I had too much to drink last night.”

Mina held out the letter for Kristina to take. “It’s a note from the Countess Tremaine. It says Ellie has accepted a position as her companion and they left for London early this morning.”

Kristina took the letter and scanned the words on the page. She then hit her leg with her fist and glared at the baroness. “You let Ellie leave with the countess? How could you allow that?”

“Allow it? Eleanor is a grown woman who can make her own decisions. She wasn’t here when I returned home last night. I came home alone when I couldn’t find my missing daughter.” The baroness gave Mina a firm look.

Mina didn’t cower under her mother’s stare. “I stayed overnight at Simon’s because it was so late.”

“Simon was kind enough to let you sleep in a guest bedroom?” The baroness’s voice had sly tone to it.

Before Mina could answer, Simon spoke in her stead.

“Your daughter has consented to be my wife. Now you don’t have to be too concerned about her reputation if it ever gets out she slept at my home without a chaperone,” he said stiffly.

The baroness’s face brightened. “This is wonderful! We need to set a date for the wedding—”

“Enough!” Kristina cried out. “How long ago did Ellie leave with the Countess Tremaine?”

The baroness’s mouth molded into a straight line. “How would I know? Why would you care where my stepdaughter has run off to and with whom?”

“Mama.” Mina sat down next to her mother. “Lady Kristina is friends with Ellie. I know it comes as surprise because of how much of a homebody Ellie is, but it appears she was at the ball last night and left behind her favorite pair of shoes. Lady Kristina would like to return them to her and needs to know the countess’s address in London or meet up with them if they haven’t traveled too far.”

The baroness looked lost. Kristina’s temper grew, but then something warm and solid brushed against her legs. August rubbed his face against her skirt and meowed. She picked him up and cradled him in her arms.

“Ellie wouldn’t up and leave everything behind. At the very least she would take August with her,” she explained through gritted teeth.

“Madam, it would please me greatly if you could give us more information on your stepdaughter’s whereabouts,” Simon said and crossed his arms behind his back as he stared his nose down at the baroness. “We fear Ellie wasn’t thinking correctly and may have done something rash.”

“Only friends, hmm?” the baroness asked, staring at Kristina in speculation.

She gave the odious woman a bland smile. “Ellie needs someone like me, a good friend to watch out for her and care for her, since she has been lacking love for so long.”

The baroness opened her mouth to respond, but faltered. Suddenly tears came to her eyes and she covered her mouth with her fist.