So This is Love (Disney Twisted Tales) - Elizabeth Lim Page 0,64
Genevieve had been trying to hide from him—that the king was planning to abdicate.
Her heart hammering in her ears, she dared open the door a fraction wider.
Her suspicion was verified by the king’s next words: “Does Charles know?”
“He will not have heard it from me.”
“Do you think he should know?”
A long, deliberate pause. “No.”
Before she could hear more of their conversation, the king disappeared behind a curtained partition, and from the top of the ballroom staircase, the royal crier announced, “The Duchess Genevieve d’Orlanne, sister of His Royal Majesty, King George-Louis Philippe, honorable and beloved sovereign of Aurelais.”
Brass fanfares trumpeted across the chamber, startling Cinderella, who quickly exited the secret panel to join the rest of the guests in greeting the duchess.
The Duchess of Orlanne had donned a black mask with silver whiskers, and she descended the staircase regally, fluttering a matching fan with feathers so long they nearly brushed against the carpet. At her side was Prince Charles, wearing a white mask that covered the upper half of his face.
As the fanfare faded, the orchestra resumed its incidental music until the prince and the duchess reached the dance floor. Then a slow triple beat emerged from the orchestra’s lush harmonies.
Cinderella watched the prince dance with his aunt, hiding a smile. The harsh angles that typically lined the duchess’s mouth eased away, and Cinderella saw a trace of the cheerful, mischievous young duchess from the portrait gallery.
Then, as they danced, Genevieve whispered something in the prince’s ear. Cinderella flinched, having a strong feeling the duchess was telling him to forget “her.”
Tearing her gaze from the dance floor, Cinderella wove through the crowd to look for Louisa, but she didn’t see her friend by the buffet.
“Her relationship with the king was never a good one,” murmured a lady blocking Cinderella’s path, “but she was best friends with the queen. After Her Majesty passed away, she and King George had a terrible row and that was the end of that.”
“I heard it had to do with her husband. He was one of those ruffian intellectuals—even got himself in jail once, remember? The king had to create a new territory to knight him so it wouldn’t be so disgraceful for Genevieve to marry beneath her. You’d think she would have been more grateful.”
“Well, who knows what happened between them? It was all very hush-hush.”
“Married to that traitor, I would be, too! Maybe we’ll find out now that she’s back.”
The conversation flustered Cinderella. She didn’t know what bothered her more: their spiteful words about the duchess’s past, or their disdain that her husband had been a commoner.
Both, she decided, finally spying a way around the noblewomen.
Behind her, the prince’s dance with his aunt came to an end, and polite applause rolled across the room. Then, as soon as it was considered tasteful, every eligible lady in the ballroom pushed her way forward, batting her fan to get the prince’s attention.
Cinderella backed into a corner so the waves of eager young women wouldn’t trample her as they rushed forward. Jewels glittered and a mix of rich perfume and desperation filled the air. Every lady parading past the prince was attractive in her own way, be it a lovely face or a stunning gown. If the prince was looking for a new bride, he had hundreds to choose from.
Stop thinking about it. That’s not your concern anymore.
The problem was she didn’t see Louisa anywhere. She had started toward the back, where the buffet and a chocolate fountain awaited, when she noticed the Grand Duke had detached himself from the king’s side and was now speaking with a young woman wearing a tiara.
Who was he speaking to?
Before Cinderella could investigate further, three flamboyantly dressed women paraded across the ballroom. Though they wore masks, Cinderella would have recognized those auburn ringlets, those black curls, and that tight gray bun anywhere—but the familiar blue and green feathers, the blue-gray shroud, and the haughty, upturned noses only confirmed it. A tide of panic washed over her.
It was Lady Tremaine—and her daughters.
Blood rushed to her head as Cinderella ducked behind one of the ballroom’s towering flower arrangements. Only after the count of three did she dare glance back at her stepmother and stepsisters.
Good, they hadn’t seen her.
Catching her breath, she edged along the table and searched the area for Louisa.
She did say she’d be by the food, didn’t she? thought Cinderella, stepping back for a better view of the buffet. Her heel landed hard on someone’s shoe, and she spun around,