The Wronged Princess - Book I (24 page)

“I…I will speak to…to…
Chevalier Joseph Pinetti,” Thomasine stuttered.

“You
would
not!
”
Faustine lifted her hand, waving her wand in a more than precarious manner.

Thomasine
halted;
one hand planted on
her hip, one finger perilously close
her
nose
. 
“Do not attempt to threaten me, Faustine
. 
We both know your lively theatrics will not work on me
. 
Chevalier Pinetti saw to that, I wager.”

Faustine
plopped down in her self-begot padded chair, dropped her wand on the table
. 
Thomasine was right, blast it
. 
When Joseph had selected her for his Fairy Godmother experiment he’d also limited her powers for just such a tantrum.

Her wand rolled to the edge of the table and clattered to the floor
. 
“We are on the same side, dear sister
. 
Pray, remember that,” she sighed.

Faustine reached down to snatch up
her wand
and whisked herself away leaving
,
behind a room full of bursting brilliant sparkles that could have l
eft one blinded, if one saw fit
.

Chapter
18

“Where did all of these people come from?” Essie whispered
. 

Essie only just beat Cinderella’s same question as she followed her down the stone steps where some twenty carriages were being loaded with young women in a rainbow of pastel hues attended by a myriad of gentlemen all dressed in their finest frock coats
. 
She cast a glance toward Pricilla whose usual quick tongue gave the impression of being stuck to the top of her mouth
. 
An unexpected mystification.

Prince met them at the bottom of the steps, with an elegant bow
. 
“Ladies, an excellent afternoon,
non
?
”
He looked so regal and noble, Cinderella wondered how she would ever make it through the day without spilling her secrets
. 
A black ribbon held his dark hair in a fashionable queue, firm lips curved in a small smile
. 
“May I present Signore Alessandro Lecce, Conte de Lecce’s eldest son
. 
The family arrived from
Torino
just yesterday.”

"
Il piacere é tutti miniera
. 
The pleasure is all mine.
”
The heels of his boots clicked smartly together coinciding with his gallant incline.

Cinderella hadn't noticed him before he spoke
. 
He was younger than Prince, though not by much she guessed
. 
Signore Lecce had not bothered with a queue
. 
Black silken hair loosed to touch his collar
. 
The signore expressed all that was gracious and courtly
. 
His lips touched Essie's hand
. 
She clamped her eyes shut, head down, murmuring, “Sir,” sketching a curtsey
. 
She looked embarrassed, Cinderella thought
,
confused
. 

Pricilla gave him a wide smile with her deep curtsey.

When he moved to Cinderella the heat flooded her cheeks
. 
Would she never become accustom
ed
to such attention
?
He was very dashing.

"You are very lovely,
Signorina
,
"
he said in a
deep
,
resonant
tone
. 

Embarrassed, she tugged at her hand but the signore’s hold tightened
. 
She coveted a glance beneath her lashes, certain no one had heard, but the frown Prince tossed to Signore Lecce had the flames in her face making her feel faint
. 
Panic had her grasping for an escape, but none presented itself with any sort of grace
. 
A tightening about Pricilla's mouth worried her but much of that might have been attributed to Prince placing Essie’s hand on his arm in that same instant.

Mayhap Cinderella's fear showed in her expression
. 
She turned and lifted her face to an unmistakable shift in an updraft of the wind, meeting Pricilla's eyes
. 
What amounted to a profound camaraderie manifested in a twitch of Pricilla's lips
. 

She was trapped
. 
She had to no other option but to allow Signore Lecce's guide into the open carriage behind Pricilla then Essie
. 
Relief filled her when Pricilla looped an arm through hers.

Pricilla, her champion
?

*****

Prince had no choice but to offer his arm to Erzsebet…Es.mer.al.da
. 
The name just refused to
take hold
. 
He resisted the urge to slam his palm against his forehead
. 
A curious constriction trapped his breath when Alessandro touched Cinderella's hand
. 
No earthly explanation
. 
What had his mother been thinking to invite the Conte de Lecco and his pomp
o
us son?

He handed Elethia into the carriage, then turned to assist Pricilla
. 
He did not seem to have trouble remembering
Pricilla or Cinderella’s
names
. 
Prince scowled at Alessandro who released Cinderella's arm with surprised reluctance
. 
One did not offend the future king
. 
Even a visiting dignitary
. 
Prince offered him a quick smile
. 
He could afford to be gracious
. 
Prince Charming
was his name, after all.

Prince handed Cinderella up in
to
the carriage, the warmth seeping through her kid glove was like a soothing balm to his irritable senses
. 
When he fell into her dark eyes he had the sensation everything would find its way to a finer day, just like the atmosphere’s shimmering particles ready to burst into sparks of luminosity
. 
As if the world consisted of only
the two of them
.

"…how will
we
all fit…" Edlynne’s voiced crashed though his consciousness
. 
Her eyes blinked in series of expeditious flutters
. 
Prince realized he still
gripped
Cinderella's
fingers
and snatched his hand away
.

Prince
stepped back
. 
"Alessandro and I shall accompany on horseback," he said gruffly
. 
He
glanced round at the small party
. 
R
elief
assailed
when no one appeared offended or otherwise off put by this car
e
less actions
. 
Mon Dieu
, he wanted to grab her hand and never let go
. 
He resisted an urge to tug his collar from his neck
. 
He sketched a brief bow to Alessandro
. 
"If that meets with your approval,
Signore
?
”
Prince knew Alessandro had no choice but to agree.

Another quick glance round, Prince found he was not certain where his mother had arranged for the ensembles grand picnic to take place until the carriages rolled out in their single procession
. 
Skirting the edges of the palace grounds they headed north
. 
Sunlight streamed the path through large oaks and manicured bushes
. 
Brightly colored flowers he couldn’t name lined the path
. 

Alessandro did a fine job flattering their charges with his sultry foreign tongue and Prince did not discourage him
. 
As long as they remained on horseback and the signore continued his monologue
,
nothing untoward could transpire
. 
Clearly
,
desire had
seized
the young Italian when he’d bowed over Cinderella’s hand
. 
It had Prince clenching a fist
. 
Alas, his mother would not welcome violence against visitors in the least.

The trail moved into fields of open rolling hills
. 
Large stripe
d
tents appeared in the distance
. 
The lake was shaded by clumps of tall trees
. 
Very picturesque
. 
The first of the guests were disembarking thirty minutes hence. Prince did not have much time to contemplate Alessandro’s
engrossment of Cinderella with
out offending his sensibilities
. 
Or worse, his
mamán’s
. 

He clamped his lips together and wondered at the sudden convenience of their visit.

Chapter
19

Fury roared through Hilda at the sight of the young Italian’s possessive hand on Cinderella's arm while Pricilla was relegated
to
Cinderella’s
other arm
. 
Why, the idea was preposterous that Cinderella could ste
a
l the Conte’s son ben
eath Pricilla's blinding beauty!

Hilda whirled on her heel to charge the little heathen but flailed forward at the obstacles barring her
way
. 
Baskets, hundreds of them
, blocked
her
path
. 
How had she not noticed them before
?
A handy servant stopped her from landing on her face
. 

"Unhand me," she snapped
. 
He dropped her arm as if he held a raging furnace
. 
Power surged through her in immense pleasure
. 
Soon she would have hundreds of servants
under her own dominion
. 
An
exhilarating
thought of such an
opportunity
. 
She could afford to be gracious, and awarded the servant a small turn of her lips
. 
"Where did these baskets appear from
?
They were not here a moment ago."

"They are for the picnic, Madám."

"Of course, they are for the picnic, you insolent
fool
. 
What are they doing
obscuring
my
path?
”
Hilda peered around the impertinent man in time to see her daughters in an open carriage already set in motion
. 
The prince and the Conte’s son alighted
from
their horses
,
preparing to follow.

She narrowed her eyes
at
the scene
. 
She seemed not to have had a single moment with her dear children in all the time they’d relocated to the castle
. 
Something she intended to remedy very soon.

“Hilda, dear
?
Is something amiss?
”

Hilda donned a gracious smile before turning to the queen.

“Of course not, your majesty
. 
I was hoping for an audience with my daughters before the outing
. 
No matter, however
. 
I shall speak with them later
.
” she smiled.

“Come
. 
You shall ride with me
. 
Our carriage awaits.
”

Hilda had no choice but to follow.

Chapter
20

"Conte de Lecce's son, Alessandro, is quite attractive, is he not?" Essie murmured to Cinderella.