Chapter 8 Ella
Chapter eight
Ella
Dietrich opened the door of the café and entered, glaring once he found her. He stalked toward her, and she fought the urge to shrink back down.
She didn’t need to be afraid of him. She was just used to dealing with her stepmother, and Dietrich, as much as he might bluster, would never be like her stepmother.
“You can’t just leave,” he said as he slid into the seat next to her. “I didn’t know where you were.”
“You’re not in charge of me,” she pointed out.
“It doesn’t matter that I’m not in charge of you,” he said. “Your safety is my concern, and you can’t just disappear.”
“I can do what I want,” she said.
“Not for much longer,” Dietrich said quietly, and her eyes widened at the realization that very soon her life would no longer be her own. If it was true and she was, in fact, the duchess, everything was going to change—and soon.
She shook her head at him. “I don’t care,” she said. “It may be an issue in the future, but for right now, I am still my own person, and I don’t need to listen to you.”
“I’m not losing you again,” he said, pinning her with a stare. “I know this is all new to you, but I can’t lose you again, Ella—not when we’re so close.”
Close to what? she wanted to ask, but she couldn’t find the words to say it. He was trying to care for her, and she should try to be accommodating, even if it rankled her soul to listen to him.
But he wasn’t the one who had lost her in the first place.
“You’re overbearing,” she said. “You are not my father.”
“No, I’m not,” he said simply. “But I know that he wants me to take care of you.”
“He doesn’t know,” she pointed out. “And if you think that’s going to change my mind—”
“You’re wrong,” he said with a shrug. “If anything, it only makes me more determined to watch out for you, since you seem to not want to do it yourself.”
“I am capable of taking care of myself,” she said.
“You don’t know what you don’t know,” Dietrich said. “Your first lesson is that you are no longer alone, and you can let people help you—even when you don’t want to.”
She wanted to throw something at him. She knew that she was no longer alone—she really did—but knowing that did not mean it felt like that, and it would not be an easy thing for her to adjust to. He should give her more credit for adjusting as well as she had already.
“I don’t think you want to see anyone else hurt,” Dietrich continued. “And I think if you realized how much they cared, you would understand why I am so concerned to see you returned to your rightful place.”
“So we’re just going on the assumption that it’s true and you can do whatever you deem necessary?” she asked, the words biting.
“If that is what it takes, yes,” he said. “Because I want to see you and your family happy, and I want to make sure that I am helping to protect you in every way possible.”
“Whether I want it or not,” she said bitterly.
Dietrich sighed. “I know that you probably see this as a loss of your freedom,” he said, “but I don’t want you to look at it that way. I want you to look at it as what it really is: me trying to help you find your family and restore everyone to their rightful place.”
“But I don’t understand why you think keeping me away from everyone is good for me.”
“I didn’t say, ‘keep you away from everyone,’” he said. “I just want to keep you safe.”
“By keeping me away from everyone,” she said bitterly.
“No,” Dietrich protested. “I just want you to not run around alone.” He looked around to make sure no one else in the café was listening before he said quietly, “You were kidnapped once. I don’t want to see it happen again. Is that so awful of me?”
When he put it like that, it was hard to be upset with him.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “You’re right—I’m not used to relying on others.”
“I know,” he said. “But if you want our help in learning to be yourself, you’re going to have to let us help you—even if it makes you uncomfortable.”
Ella wrinkled her nose at the thought. “Must I?” she asked.
“You must,” he said cheerfully. “And with that in mind, I have asked a friend to join us.”
“A friend?” Ella asked.
The door to the café opened, and Lady Dunham walked in.
Ella’s eyes widened. Lady Dunham had been a commoner before she married Lord Dunham, and she had needed her own lessons in adjusting to joining the noble class. She glanced at Dietrich, who grinned.
“I see you’re putting it together,” he said. “Beatrice is going to help us.”
“But—” Ella began, and Dietrich shook his head.
“No buts,” he said. “You will accept help willingly and cheerfully.”
She glared at him as Lady Dunham approached with a smile.
“I heard you got yourself into trouble,” she said to Dietrich with a grin, giving him a hug.
“This is Ella,” Dietrich said as they both turned to her. “I think she may find herself in a situation similar to yours soon.”
Lady Dunham simply waited for him to continue.
“I believe she may be the missing duchess,” Dietrich said quietly, and Lady Dunham turned to Ella with wide eyes.
“I could see it,” Lady Dunham admitted, examining Ella. “Of course, she’ll need some assistance.”
“This is why I called you,” Dietrich said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I knew you would be willing.”
“And you didn’t want to deal with it yourself,” Lady Dunham said with a chuckle.
“You wound me,” Dietrich said. “I simply thought she would benefit from your tutoring, as someone who has made a similar transition recently.”
“I see,” Lady Dunham said. “So you want me to do what, exactly?”
Dietrich grinned. “I want you to teach her how to be a lady.”
Lady Dunham laughed. “You make it sound so easy.”
“Isn’t it?” he asked. “You certainly did it well enough.”
Lady Dunham shook her head. “I am still terrible at it. If you want help, you should ask Sophia.”
“Is Sophia home?” Dietrich asked eagerly, before turning to Ella. “Sophia was our friend who found out that her father was nobility even though she was Lord Rendon’s goat girl.”
“And she fell in love with the lord’s son,” Lady Dunham said with a grin, “which is just impossibly romantic. But I think she’s in Riyel at the moment, unfortunately, no matter how eager you are to replace me.
But I suppose I can help, at least to start.
As you said, I do understand it, I’m just not as advanced as Sophia. ”
“She’ll need lessons on manners, tutoring on the local nobility, practice at dining properly, and wearing the right clothes.”
“I think you’ll fit in some of my gowns,” Lady Dunham said, turning and assessing Ella with a kind smile.
“And she said she wants to learn to ride, and perhaps Alexander can teach her to dance. She’s going to need more help than I’ll have time for.”
Ella glanced between the two of them, her frustration with Dietrich growing with every moment.
“How often do I have to ask you to stop talking about me like I’m not here?”
Dietrich ran his hand through his hair, looking appropriately remorseful.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s just—I’m used to talking about the horses, and they don’t care.”
Lady Dunham and Ella stared at him.
“What?” he asked.
“You did not just compare her to a horse,” Lady Dunham said, her words forceful, and Dietrich grimaced.
“That was badly done,” he said sheepishly.
“Yes, yes, it was,” Lady Dunham said, shoving him in the shoulder. “Apologize.”
“I am very sorry, Ella,” he began. “I’m out of practice when it comes to speaking to a beautiful woman.”
Ella’s eyes widened at the compliment, and she turned to Lady Dunham, who was still giving Dietrich a glare.
“She should not let you get away with that,” Lady Dunham said. “But since I must be home soon and we haven’t much time, I think we’ll have to let this one slide. Don’t you think?” she said, turning to Ella.
“I—yes.” Ella couldn’t hide the tiny smile that appeared. She liked Lady Dunham. “I suppose we’ll have to let it go.”
“Don’t do it again,” Lady Dunham warned, settling into the seat beside Ella. “Now, dear, tell me about yourself while Dietrich goes to get me a drink.”
“Excuse me?” Dietrich began spluttering, but Beatrice simply waved him off, and he complied, heading up to the counter where Thea was waiting.
“Now that he’s gone, I wanted to ask you—do you think he’s right?”
Ella took the hand that Lady Dunham offered and squeezed it.
“I think he might be, my lady,” she admitted.
Lady Dunham shook her head. “I’m Beatrice. No need for titles with me. And with that out of the way, how does that make you feel?”
“It’s terrifying,” Ella admitted quietly.
“But I found out this morning from my stepmother that my father wasn’t mine.
And when I add that to the fact that Dietrich says I look just like her, and the fact that I don’t look like the man I thought was my father.
.. it feels like compelling evidence that I am not who my father said I was. ”
Beatrice nodded. “I would agree that it sounds fairly promising. And you want to tell them?”
Ella shook her head. “I don’t want to tell them yet. I want to be able to handle myself before I do. I know nothing about being...you know.”
Beatrice grinned. “And you want to not embarrass yourself or them.”
Ella nodded. “Exactly.”
Beatrice grinned again. “I can certainly understand that. Are you ready to learn the skills you need?”
“I am,” Ella said, nodding her head. “Will you help me?”
“I will,” Beatrice said, squeezing her hand. “Although we may need Dietrich’s help for some of it. You said that your stepmother told you the truth this morning?”
“Yes,” Ella said. “So I am now staying with Dietrich’s mother.”
Beatrice looked at her and chewed on her lower lip for a moment. “I think you should come stay with me for a few days instead,” she said. “I would like to work with you one-on-one, and it would be easier if you were at my home.”
“I—” Ella took a deep breath, then nodded. “If it will not hurt Danise’s feelings.”
Beatrice smiled. “You don’t have to worry about Danise. It won’t hurt her feelings at all. And then you and I can learn how to be nobles together. I’d say within a week or two, you’ll feel much more confident to go and be yourself.”
Ella’s eyes burned with tears as Dietrich came back with an armful of drinks. How was this happening? She had gone from being no one to being someone and having friends so fast, it hardly felt real.
“You and I have work to do,” Beatrice said. “So I think we should get out of here as soon as we’re done with this. Dietrich can tell his mother what’s happening on the way back. Does that sound like a good plan?”
Ella nodded and took a sip of the drink Dietrich handed her. It was lavender tea, just like she’d had the other day. He gave her a slight smile.
“To say sorry,” he said. “Just drink the drink, and I hope you will forgive me.”
Ella sighed. “I suppose I must,” she said, giving him a wink.
Dietrich grinned. “I feel better already. What’s the plan?”