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

twinge tickled low in Ellie’s belly. Sweat glided down into her bodice. She rolled her lips in between her teeth and pressed her palm over her jittery stomach, fighting the urge to move her hand down lower and cup herself. What’s come over me? Am I coming down with something? I’ve never felt this way before.
    Lord Robert took a step closer to the woman and captured her hand. The woman tried to move back, but Lord Robert didn’t let her go and gathered her to him.
    Ellie was ready to jump on his back if she had to in order to stop him from accosting the woman, but to her surprise, the woman wagged her finger in front of his face.
    “Now, Lord Robert, I’ve enjoyed dancing with you and spending this time together. I would hate for you to ruin everything if you tried something ungentlemanly and stole a kiss. Ymmärrätkö sinä ?”
    Her released her and dropped his arms. “Yamarta what?”
    “It’s Finnish for, do you understand?” The woman crossed her arms and lifted an eyebrow.
    Ellie wanted to get a closer look at the foreign visitor, and without realizing it, stepped down on a branch. The crack broke through the silence and her breath caught in her throat.
    “What’s that noise?” The woman moved past Lord Robert and examined the bush Ellie hid behind.
    Lord Robert’s hands came down on the woman’s shoulders. The woman rolled her eyes, and had just curled her hand into a fist when the sounds of glass breaking and loud screams came from inside.
    “What in the world is going on?” Lord Robert asked in a testy voice and turned away.
    Ellie carefully climbed out of the bush. Curious, she snuck a peek inside through the window. What she saw made her shake in silent laughter.
    Miss Crane seized Mina by the hair and dragged her around the room, screaming insults and words no proper lady should say. Mina thrashed about. Soon they were surrounded, and Lord Simon looped his arms around Mina’s waist while Miss Crane’s father hauled his daughter away. The guests watched in horror, whispering to one another.
    Ellie’s time here had come to an end. She checked the patio to see if it was deserted. Satisfied she was alone, she darted out from the foliage and, taking one last look over her shoulder, scurried across the lawn. A figure materialized in front of her. She cut off a scream and froze in her tracks, her heart pounding in her ears.
    Standing before her was the woman Lord Robert had been trying to impress on the patio. The lady stared down at her as if she was some sort of novelty. She then blinked and her forehead knitted.
    Terror-stricken, Ellie waited for the woman to accuse her of being a thief.
    “It’s you.”
    “Huh?” Fear stopped her from speaking correctly.
    “I saw you early today. You were holding a basket with a cat covered with a red cloth of some sort.”
    The woman gave her a tender smile and held out her hand. Ellie backed away, ready to flee.
    “Don’t be afraid. I’m not going to rat you out. I understand how servants like to see how the upper crust lives. You are one, correct?” The woman dropped her hand and looked at her expectantly.
    Ugh, what a snob . Ellie inhaled through her nose. What was the use in arguing with the lady’s opinion? She wouldn’t believe her if she told her otherwise.
    “How do you know I’m the one you spotted on the street? You could be mistaken.” Ellie stuck out her chin in a form of defiance and met the woman’s stare instead of lowering her face in supplication.
    The lady didn’t act insulted or give her a talking down. Instead she appeared entertained, from the twitching of her lips. “You were unforgettable. It’s not very often I see a woman dressed in black carrying a cat in a basket down a crowded walkway. You also have the most…unusual hairstyle and hair color.”
    Color? What does she mean? Ellie fingered one of her curls and pushed it back behind her ear. The lady sounded sincere, but then again she never knew what to expect when