“Yes, ma’am.” She curtsied. “I hope you have a grand time.”
The clock struck eight as Cinderella hurried back to her room, where Louisa, already dressed for the ball, was waiting.
“You look beautiful!” exclaimed Cinderella.
“Keep your voice down,” whispered her friend, though she beamed at the compliment. “Aunt Irmina’s still upstairs.” Then Louisa twirled, showing off her olive-green gown and the gold trimming she’d added to its cuffs. “Wait until you see yours.”
“I’ve got something, too. Look what the duchess gave us.” Cinderella opened the hatbox, and Louisa’s eyes widened.
“They’re exquisite,” she breathed, picking up the swan mask. “This will go wonderfully with your dress.”
Louisa stepped aside, lifting the pale pink gown draped over Cinderella’s changing screen. Its fluted sleeves shimmered with tiny crystals overlaid upon the gossamer silk, and the skirt, dappled with gentle threads of silver, seemed to dance off the candlelight against the wooden floor.
“How did you—”
“One of my mother’s customers ate too many oysters and fell ill,” explained Louisa with a mischievous glint in her eye. “Won’t hurt anyone if you borrow her dress for a few hours.”
“I couldn’t possibly—”
“Yes, you could. Mama’s already agreed to let you have it for the night. You’re not allowed to refuse.”
Touched, Cinderella pressed the gown’s soft silk to her chest. “I guess in that case...”
“Hurry and put it on before Aunt Irmina gets back.”
Eager to comply, Cinderella slipped behind the changing screen. The gown was still warm from having been pressed, and the ruffles tickled her collarbone as she slipped it onto her body.
“I had a feeling it’d be just your size.” Louisa surveyed Cinderella with an approving eye. “But it’s missing something. A shawl maybe, or a necklace.”
A necklace. Cinderella opened her dresser drawer for her mother’s beads. “Will this do?”
“Oh, that’s very nice,” said Louisa. “The perfect finishing touch.”
While she clasped the beads around her neck, Cinderella glanced at herself in the mirror. The pink dress was elegant and understated, its shape slim and formfitting—unlike the billowy skirts on the ball gown her fairy godmother had conjured for her. That suited her just fine. She wasn’t going to the masquerade to catch the prince’s eye.
Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself.The thought slipped into her mind before she could stop it.
Cinderella took in a deep breath, trying to relax all the tension gathered in her shoulders. Her toes wriggled in her shoes. No glass slippers this time; her shoes were made of leftover scraps of satin and, for good measure, she’d added a band over the ankles so they wouldn’t fall off.
Then again, she wasn’t planning on having to dash off at midnight this time.
A touch of wistfulness came over Cinderella as she and Louisa arrived in the ballroom. It was just as magnificent as she remembered: a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, reflecting brilliantly upon the marble floor, making it seem like she was walking among the stars.
She scanned the room, searching first for the Grand Duke and then for her stepmother. No sign of Lady Tremaine and her daughters.
With a sigh of relief, Cinderella adjusted her mask, the feathers tickling her cheeks as she tied it tight behind her hair.
“Are you sure no one will recognize us?” she asked Louisa.
“I’m certain. Stop fretting!”
Cinderella fidgeted with her mask one last time and inhaled. There was no need to worry. They had taken a secret entrance into the ballroom, one used most frequently by the servants who served the king on his private balcony, so no one had seen them arrive. Not to mention the mask! There were so many people—all wearing masks—that even if her stepmother and stepsisters were present, chances were slim they’d recognize her.
She swept her fingers against the marble balustrade, her shoes sinking into the plush carpet as she and Louisa descended one of the ballroom staircases. Last time, she’d been so caught up in the moment that she barely had time to absorb and admire her surroundings.
How foolish I was,she thought.I didn’t even know he was the prince! I didn’t bother wondering why the orchestra started playing the moment we began to dance, or why there was no one else on the floor with us.
She wouldn’t be so foolish anymore.
