Ella Enchanted - By Gail Carson Levine Page 0,10

interview governesses. In two days, you shall go to finishing school with Dame Olga's daughters."

"I won't."

He continued as though I hadn't spoken. "I'll write a letter to the headmistress, which I shall entrust to you, along with a purse filled with enough KJs to stop her protests against a last-minute pupil."

"I won't go."

"You shall do as I say, Eleanor."

"I won't go."

"Ella..." He bit into a scallop and spoke while he chewed. "Your father is not a good man, as the servants have already warned you, unless I miss my guess."

I didn't deny it.

"They may have said I'm selfish, and I am. They may have said I'm impatient, and I am. They may have said I always have my way. And I do."

"I do too," I lied.

He grinned at me admiringly. "My daughter is the bravest wench in Kyrria." The smile vanished, and his mouth tightened into a hard, thin line. "But she shall go to finishing school if I have to take her there myself. And it will not be a pleasant trip if I have to lose time from my trading because of you. Do you understand, Ella?"

Angry, Father reminded me of a carnival toy, a leather fist attached to a coiled spring used in puppet shows. When the spring was released, the fist shot out at a hapless puppet. With Father, it wasn't the fist that frightened me; it was the spring, because the spring determined the force of the blow. The anger in his eyes was so tightly coiled that I didn't know what would happen if his spring were tripped.

I hated being frightened, but I was. "I'll go to finishing school." I couldn't help adding, "But I shall loathe it."

His grin was back. "You are free to loathe or to love, so long as you go."

It was a taste of obedience without an order, and I didn't like it any better than the Lucinda-induced kind. I left the dining room, and he didn't stop me.

It was early evening. In spite of the hour, I went up to my room and donned my nightgown. Then I moved my dolls, Flora and Rosamunde, into bed and climbed in. They had stopped sleeping with me years before, but tonight I needed special comfort.

I gathered them on my stomach and waited for sleep. But sleep was busy elsewhere.

Tears started. I pushed Flora against my face.

"Sweetie..." The door opened. It was Mandy with Tonic and a box.

I felt bad enough. "No Tonic, Mandy. I'm fine. Truly."

"Oh, lovey." She put down the Tonic and the box and held me, stroking my forehead.

"I don't want to go," I said into her shoulder.

"I know, honey," she said. She held me for a long while, until I was almost asleep. Then she shifted her weight. "Tonic time."

"I'll skip tonight."

"No you won't. Not tonight, especially. I won't have you getting sick when you need your strength." A spoon came out of her apron. "Take it. Three spoons."

I braced myself. Tonic tasted nutty and good, but it felt slimy, like swallowing a frog. Each spoonful oozed along my throat. I continued to gulp after it was down, to rid myself of the sensation.

But it made me feel better -- a little better. Ready to talk anyway. I settled myself back in Mandy's lap.

"Why did Mother marry him?" This question had troubled me since I was old enough to think about it.

"Until she was his wife, Sir Peter was very sweet to Lady. I didn't trust him, but she wouldn't listen to me. Her family didn't approve because he was poor, which made Lady want him even more, she was that kindhearted." Mandy's hand stopped its comforting journey up and down my forehead. "Ella, pet, try to keep him from learning about the spell on you."

"Why? What would he do?"

"He likes to have his way too much. He'd use you."

"Mother ordered me not to tell about the curse. But I wouldn't anyway."

"That's right." Her hand went back to work on my forehead. I closed my eyes.

"What will it be like, do you think?"

"At school? Some of the lasses will be lovely. Sit up, sweet. Don't you want your presents?"

I had forgotten about the box. But there had been only one. "Presents?"

"One at a time." Mandy handed me the box I'd seen. "For you, wherever you go your whole life."

Inside the box was a book of fairy tales. I had never seen such beautiful illustrations. They were almost alive. I turned the pages, marveling.

"When you look at it, you