Cinderella and the Lady by KT Grant Read Free Book Online Page A

owned. Shaking off her melancholia over her lacking wardrobe, she concentrated on the lavish people inside. Saliva pooled in her mouth as servants roamed around with trays of drink and finger foods.
    Geraldine chatted with a man and woman who were the best dressed there. The man rested his hand on the woman’s back and she smiled up at him in affection. They must be married . Trying to search for Mina, she leapt back when Lord Robert flew by with a strikingly beautiful woman in his arms.
    She gasped and crouched low. For some odd reason her knees started to shake and her head throbbed. The woman in her flowing rose-colored gown was breathtaking. Her brown eyes flashed with in merriment, and her smile was radiant. It appeared Lord Robert also thought the same. He stared at her, captivated, while his hand ran up and down her back in smooth strokes.
    Ellie eyes charted the mesmerizing woman, who had made an unexpected impression on her. Who was she and why was she dancing with Lord Robert? Was he courting her?
    Some of the couples left the dance floor as the music changed into something slower. Lord Robert escorted the woman over to the couple talking to Geraldine. The countess crossed the room to join them. Ellie inhaled and hunched down lower, her forehead and eyes above the sill and nothing else. She would be in deep water if she was caught lurking about.
    “I should leave before I’m found out,” she whispered, reaching into her skirt pocket for Jack. Realizing she left him at home, she dropped her arms to her side. Her gaze found the alluring woman who was near her age. Her companions laughed at something she said and she did the same in return.
    What’s wrong with me? What am I acting this way over a stranger? So what if she has a pleasing face and figure? She shook her head to clear her thoughts. It must be exhaustion. I should go home and rest for a few hours before Geraldine and Mina come…oh no, what is Mina doing?
    Strolling across the room with a glass of pink liquid in hand, Mina bumped into Crane’s eldest daughter, splashing the drink on her skirt. The Crane girl jumped back and wiped at her dress, anger exploding on her face. Mina acted apologetic, wiping at the stain, but causing it to spread further.
    She clapped for Mina and her outrageous daring. It was no accident, and from the enraged look Miss Crane gave her, she knew also.
    The music changed to a livelier beat and people swarmed the middle of the room. Ellie lost sight of Mina and scoured the room, trying to locate her to see if Miss Crane would retaliate in some manner.
    “Much cooler out here than inside.” Lord Robert’s voice resonated from overhead.
    Ellie backed against the wall and peered up at the patio where Lord Robert emerged with his dance partner. He handed the woman a handkerchief to blot her face. She shifted in closer, reassured it was dark enough that the shadows from the house and the greenery surrounding it would hide her.
    “Thank you for your handkerchief. If I had known it would be so warm inside, I would have brought my own. As it is, I forgot my fan.”
    Ellie closed her eyes. The woman’s restrained yet melodious voice rushed over her. What a strange accent . Wanting a better glimpse, she spread apart the bush in front of to get a better look.
    Both Lord Robert and the woman stood a few feet away from her. Lord Robert’s back was to her while the woman faced her, patting her face and neck with the handkerchief. Lord Robert folded his hands behind his back, his fingers twitching as he rocked back on his heels.
    When the woman handed back his linen, he shook his head. “You keep it. I have many others. It will please me to know you have something of mine, such as a small slip of cloth, cooled your overheated flesh.”
    Ellie covered her mouth to smother a laugh. Lord Robert’s courting skills were less than desirable.
    The woman coughed into the handkerchief. Her shoulders shook and her eyes danced in merriment.
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