Dearest Cinderella Read Online Free PDF Page B

deposited it into his pocket. He ran a hand over his jaw
and mouth, smoothing his roughened cheeks.
    "Will she hate me?" Nurse
Fairgem seemed to notice the faint sound of hopelessness in his
voice and came over to lay a hand upon his shoulder as if he were
her son and not the future ruler of the kingdom.
    "Cinderella isn't like others.
Her heart is pure. She doesn't hate. She forgives. When I offered
for her to stay with me instead of returning to that wretched house
she calls home, she refused. Said she couldn't just leave her poor
sisters with their mother. That she had to help them to be better.
That is the type of girl Cinderella is, so banish any thoughts of
her treating you differently or being after the crown. She's
remained truthful to you, now you must return the courtesy."
    "Thank you." He was truly
touched by the woman's acceptance "Please, allow me to be the one
who tells her," she bowed her head in affirmation. "Come, I shall
escort you home."
    "Oh there's no need, your
Highness." He grabbed ahold of the reins of his horse.
    "It is the least I can do." They
began walking toward the direction of Nurse Fairgems modiste with
the old lady's hand looped through the Princes arm as though she
were royalty. She smiled giddily, not feeling any of the fear that
had trailed behind her on the way into the forest.
    "I would like to ask you for a
favour."
    "Anything, your Highness"

    CHAPTER
    SIX

    It was the middle of the night,
not a sound could be heard in the entire house but for the faint
whisper of fabric over fingertips and Cinderella humming under her
breath. Not a soul was awake, nobody knew that in her room, with
only the smallest candle for light, Cinderella was busy sewing a
gown. It was one of her stepmother's old dresses, but she was sure
that with more than a few adjustments she would not recognise it.
Cinderella had found the dress thrown in the dumpster after her
stepmother had spilled wine on the hem of the full skirt. It had
taken her two days to fully clean it and then another three to
completely remove the stain. The dress was of such a fine quality,
made almost entirely from Italian silk, that it would have been a
shame to waste such a beautiful garment. Cinderella set about
adjusting the height of the bodice, restitching elements that had
fallen off or frayed throughout the cleaning process. She adjusted
the height of the sleeves and length of the skirt, hemming it at
the bottom to shorten it. All the while she dreamt of the ball.
Imagining twirling, dancing and laughing. She wondered what Jon had
thought of her letter. Whether he would deign to meet her.
    Every night, once her chores
were finished, everyone had taken supper and the last light had
flickered out, Cinderella would continue working on the dress. Now
with the ball in the evening, Cinderella was even more determined
to attend. She entered town, helping her two sisters to shop for
last minute fixtures to their dresses, waiting as they took their
fittings and measurements, carrying their bags. They walked into
ribbon shop after ribbon shop, looking for ribbons and trinkets
that might attract an unwitting Prince or any young rich gentleman.
It had been some time since her stepmother had allowed Cinderella
to spend time with her sisters. She'd sent word down with a servant
that she'd taken to a migraine and that Cinderella would go along
with the girls instead. She watched them as they strolled down the
street, ahead of her, as if she were a common servant. It saddened
Cinderella for she hoped that if only she could be honest with
them, they could treat her like a sister. Share with her their
secret jokes, carry some of the bags, stop ordering her about. All
they knew of her was what their mother had told them, that
Cinderella was a distant and disgraced cousin. So far removed from
what was proper and correct that she'd been reduced to the work of
a servant. Cinderella was dim-witted, lazy and hated their entire
family. The only time they ever