Chapter 36 #2
Two men stand in the hall as if they’re guarding it, or perhaps they’re preparing to drag me away if I resist. At the doorway, I pause, trying to still my beating heart.
Dr. Wissen is sprawled out on the settee in the parlor with Stepmother and Father.
Usually, servants bring out coffee and sweets for our guests, but there’s no one left other than Jesse and me.
Dr. Wissen is wearing a fine embroidered jacket and the latest styled silk pants. A hat sits beside him on the end table, and his cane lies on his lap. Bile fills my mouth, knowing what he does to his wives. When I step inside, he rises to greet me. The left corner of his lip curls up.
“Ella!” Stepmother exclaims. “You should’ve changed. You can’t wear a torn-up black dress for your wedding.”
“Father, there’s something you should know about Dr. Wissen,” I say, deciding to see if he’ll believe me when I tell him about Wissen’s past wives.
Jesse barrels into the sitting room. Marianne’s ball gown lies in her arms, billowing up so it’s hard to see her face.
“Ella!” Jesse cries out. “What do I do? Marianne’s gown for the ball tonight has been ruined. The hem must have gotten too close to the fire and singed it.”
“What?” Marianne screams, snatching the dress from Jesse and holding it up.
Sure enough, the entire front hem of the dress is ruined. I press my lips together, glancing at Jesse, giving me hopeful eyes. My heart squeezes. She did this purposely to save me.
“Idiot! You’ve ruined my ball gown!” Marianne yells at Jesse and then slaps her across the face, leaving behind a fierce mark. I gasp in shock. “Get out of my sight before I throw you into the fire like you did with my dress!”
“How dare you hit her?” I march up to stand between Marianne and Jesse. “Next time you have an issue with one of the servants, you come to me first.” Then to Jesse, I say, “I’ll get some poultice for you as soon as I’m done here.”
Her hand trembles as she touches her cheek. Marianne throws the gown at Jesse. “Why are you still here?” Marianne demands. “Get out!”
Jesse races out of the room. I suck in a deep breath, knowing she just gave me a gift. I can’t waste it.
“This is terrible, Marianne. Now you don’t have a gown for the ball,” I say, adding panic to my voice.
“I’d offer to help, but I can’t since I must get married.
Unless…we delayed my wedding.” I pause, carefully choosing my next words.
“Stepmother, Marianne needs me to stay here and fix her gown. With the ball only hours away, she might not be able to go unless we hurry.”
“She’s right, Mother,” Marianne says, rubbing her temples. “I need her to stay. This is a disaster.”
“And I need my wife,” Dr. Wissen counters. “I cannot wait another day for her.”
I’m stunned by the doctor’s urgency. It means he wants to murder me tonight. Feed me to his trees to gain my magic.
“If I’m a princess,” Marianne says, eyes sharpening on him. “All will be well. My positioning is the key, and nothing can jeopardize that. You can wait.”
“Your positioning?” Wissen scowls. “This isn’t just about you.”
I step back, letting the two fight it out.
“Oh, but it is,” she retorts. “Father, I need Ella.”
Father wipes his forehead vigorously, rising from his seat. “Marianne’s right, my dearest Hilda. We can’t jeopardize her chances of marrying the prince. If she needs Ella, she must have Ella.”
Stepmother sighs in resignation. “I’m sorry, doctor, but it’s true. We’re severely understaffed. And with the loss of Marianne’s gown, we can’t lose our beloved Ella quite yet.”
“I understand your urgency.” Dr. Wissen glowers at Marianne. “How about we compromise? You have Ella today. At dawn tomorrow, I’ll send a fleet of servants, so we don’t have this issue. They’ll work all day on your daughters, leaving Ella free to marry me.”
“That is only fair,” Marianne says triumphantly.
I don’t like this. I’ve only managed to buy myself one day. It’s not enough time, but it’ll have to be for now. He bows politely to my father and stepmother and heads into the hall. Strangely, Marianne follows him. Curious, I slip into the shadows and duck behind the clock to listen.
“Let’s hope the fool of a prince falls madly in love with you,” Wissen says in a light growl. “You’ve put me in a difficult situation.”
Marianne glares as he slips outside like oil roiling across a marble floor.
“What was my future husband talking to you about?” I challenge her, stepping out of the shadows. She startles.
“I didn’t see you there.” She touches her throat. “It was nothing. Just reminding him of my eagerness for him to be a part of our family.”
She’s lying. Why?
“Of course.” I smile, hoping she can’t see its falseness. “I’m going to make a mid-day meal. Can’t have you go to the ball hungry, can we? Meanwhile, why don’t you look through your dresses and see which one you wish for me to work on?”
I hurry into the kitchen, thoughts churning. Something is in the works between those two. But what? I need to tell Jacob. The door bursts open, and Marianne rushes into the kitchen.
“What exactly did you hear between Dr. Wissen and me?” Marianne demands.
“Nothing. You two just seemed like you had a secret.” I look away, setting a mixing bowl onto the table, and then drag a sack of potatoes toward me. I decide to play dumb. “Listen, if you’re having an affair with him, I don’t care.”
She jerks, eyebrows lifting. “An affair? No. I’d never come between you and your fiancé.”
When she says fiancé, I slam my knife sharply through the potato. “I just want to go to the ball, Marianne. It’s that simple.”
Marianne studies me intently. She moves to the table, digging her hands into a bowl of dried lentils, sifting them as if in deep thought. “I truly wish to be a good sister to you, Cinderella. I want to be the sister you’ve always dreamed of. Let’s keep this whole thing just between the two of us.”
Her voice is as sweet as honeysuckle. It’s alarming. She’s worried about something. But what?
“Of course.” I flash her a tight smile.
“Mother!” Marianne calls down the hall. “Mother!”
Is Marianne really going to help me, or is this a trick? It doesn’t take long for my stepmother to find us, even if a little breathless.
“Whatever is the matter?” She holds her hand to her chest. “What has Ella done now?”
“It seems only fair to let Cinderella go to the ball. She needs one last night of bliss before she marries,” Marianne says, flashing me a smile. “Perhaps after she’s helped Bertha and me, does some extra chores, and doesn’t cause any trouble, we could let her go.”
“If that would make you happy.” Stepmother’s nose lifts disdainfully as she assesses me. Then she snatches the bowl of lentils on the counter and throws them into the ash-filled fireplace. “How about this? Pick every lentil out. Once you finish your chores and dress your sisters, then you can go.”
It’s an impossible task, but I need to try. “Thank you, Stepmother.”
“You’re so generous, Mother.” Marianne kisses her on the cheek and then winks conspiratorially at me. “Sounds like we have a deal, don’t we, Cinderella?”
“That we do,” I say, hoping I haven’t fallen into another trap.