Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine Read Free Book Online

you, my dear.” Hattie settled back in her seat. “I was born to wear jewels like this.”
    “Let me try it, Ella,” Olive said.
    “When you’re older,” Hattie answered.
    But I had to obey. I tried desperately to ignore Olive’s order, but all my complaints started: churning stomach, pounding temples, shortness of breath.
    “Let her have her turn,” I said through clenched teeth.
    “See,” Olive said. “Ells says I can.”
    “I know what’s best for you, Olive. You and Ella are both too young—”
    I lunged at her and unfastened the necklace before she had time to stop me.
    “Don’t give it to her, Ella,” Hattie said. “Return it to me.”
    I did.
    “Give it to me, Ella,” Olive said, her voice rising. “Don’t be so mean, Hattie.”
    I snatched the necklace back from Hattie and passed it to Olive.
    Hattie stared at me. I could see her start to work out what had happened.
    “Mother wore that necklace to her wedding,” I said, hoping to deflect her thoughts. “And her mother…”
    “Are you always so obedient, Ella? Return the necklace to me.”
    “I won’t let her,” Olive said.
    “Yes you will, or I’ll see that you get no dinner tonight.”
    I took the necklace away from Olive. Hattie fastened it around her neck and patted it complacently. “Ella, you should give it to me. It would be a token of our friendship.”
    “We’re not friends.”
    “Yes we are. I’m devoted to you. Olive likes you too, don’t you, Ollie?”
    Olive nodded solemnly.
    “I believe you will give it to me if I say you must. Do so, Ella, for friendship’s sake. You must.”
    No, I wouldn’t. She couldn’t have it. “You can have it.” The words burst from me.
    “Thank you. What a generous friend we have, Olive.” She changed the subject. “The servants were careless when they cleaned the coach. That dust ball is a disgrace. We shouldn’t have to ride in such filth. Pick it up, Ella.”
    An order I liked. I grabbed the dust and ground it into her face. “It becomes you,” I said.
    But the satisfaction was fleeting.

CHAPTER 8
    HATTIE DIDN’T know about Lucinda and the curse, but she understood I always had to follow her orders. After I rubbed dust in her face, all she did was smile. The smile meant that dust weighed little in the balance of her power.
    I retreated to a corner of the coach and gazed out the window.
    Hattie hadn’t ordered me not to take the necklace back again. What if I lifted it over her large head? Or what if I yanked it off her neck? It would be better broken than owned by her.
    I tried. I told my arms to move, told my hands to grasp. But the curse wouldn’t let me. If someone else had ordered me to take it back, I would have had to. But I couldn’t will myself to reclaim it. So I made myself look at it, to become accustomed to the sight. While I stared, Hattie stroked the chain, gloating.
    In a few minutes her eyes closed. Her mouth fell open, and she began to snore.
    Olive crossed the carriage to sit next to me. “I want a present to show we’re friends too,” she said.
    “Why don’t you give me a gift instead?”
    The furrows in her forehead deepened. “No. You give me.”
    An order. “What would you like?” I asked.
    “I want money. Give me money.”
    As he’d promised, Father had given me a purse of silver KJs. I reached into my carpetbag and pulled out a coin. “Here you are. Now we’re friends.”
    She spat on the coin and rubbed it to make it shine. “We’re friends,” she agreed. She crossed back to her former seat and brought the coin close to her eyes to study it.
    I looked at the snoring Hattie. She was probably dreaming of ways to order me about. I looked at Olive, who was running the edge of the KJ over her forehead and down her nose. I began to long for finishing school. At least there they wouldn’t be my only companions.
    In a few minutes Olive joined Hattie in slumber. When I was certain both of them were soundly asleep, I dared to fetch