Twice Upon A Time (Unfinished Fairy Tales #2)(35)

Although he behaves like a casual friend to me, Edward shows no sign of giving me up. Since we quarreled, he has been guarding me like a hawk. And it’s not just Edward. Amelie, Mabel and Bertram also seem to watch me whenever I leave our suite or when I leave the table after a meal. I don’t know if Edward told them to keep an extra eye on me, but I do know that it’s getting on my nerves.

I try to occupy myself with the letter-writing and books from the library. I did think about going back to the chapel, but I’d rather wait until the storm has passed. I’m not afraid of Edward, but it’s best to avoid unpleasantness, especially when the servants also sense the tension between us.

“Not this dress,” I say one day when Mabel brings out an off-shoulder pastel blue gown from my wardrobe, which is large enough to accommodate an elephant. “That neckline is way too low. And what’s with that decanter on the dresser?”

“I . . . I think His Highness wouldn’t mind.” Mabel sounds nervous, but she clings to the blue dress like it’s worth a million. “Amelie and I thought that he might soften up if you wear this and offer him a glass. Bertram told us His Highness was happier since he met you, but it’s been days and he hasn’t cracked a smile.”

I sigh. “It’s not that simple. He won’t be appeased just because of a dress.”

“But he adores you,” Mabel insists, her round face the personification of earnestness. “Surely, he’d prefer to kiss and make up?”

In the end, I give in, but on the condition that I wear a silken wrap as well. Mabel concedes, but she makes me promise I’ll take off the wrap once Edward and I are alone.

Amelie arrives a moment after Mabel finishes arranging my hair. As a married woman, I’m supposed to keep my hair up all the time. Only my husband or parents can have the ‘privilege’ of seeing me with my hair down.

“Miss Elle would like to see you.”

Elle. The real Cinderella. Oh, my God. I’m going to meet the character I’ve read about in The Ugly Stepsister, the girl Katriona tried to push toward the prince, but who ended up falling for the prince’s cousin. “Show her in.”

A lovely girl enters the study. Curly, honey-blonde hair and large, baby blue eyes. Smooth, unblemished skin the color of cream. A face as sweet as a pink rose. She’s wearing a simple white dress, and apart from a silver pendant on her throat, she doesn’t have any jewelry or accessories. Yet her hands look rough and calloused.

“Hi,” I say a bit nervously, wondering how I used to greet her when I was seventeen. “Nice . . . er . . . lovely to see you today.”

Elle blossoms into a smile, which makes her look so pretty that I can see why Henry fell for her, even when she was a servant. “Henry was invited to the palace today, so I thought I’d come along and have a chat with you.”

“Henry is also here?”

“He’s meeting His Highness today about a Food and Drugs Act.” Elle glows as she speaks. Her affection for Henry must have grown deeper than depicted in the book. “Henry wants to ensure that our staple foods are safe to consume, so he suggested several bans, such as the use of red lead in coffee and ground glass in sugar. It’s a pity that he’s so busy that he can’t continue teaching at the school.”

Since when did Henry become a teacher? I must look blank, for Elle adds, “Didn’t you know that Henry resigned his position? We had to place an ad for applications.”

“Oh, of course,” I lie and slap my hand on my forehead. “I completely forgot.”

“We hope to replace him soon, but I’m afraid the girls have grown attached to him.” Elle sighs. “Speaking of the school, Miss Cavendish mentioned to me that she wants to hold a meeting, probably next month. I’ll see you then, if not sooner.”

My heart sinks. I don’t even know who this Miss Cavendish is. I’ll have to ask Edward to tell me more about this school I’m running, but if it’s my job, I’m not sure how much he knows.

“Um, sure.”

Elle’s forehead puckers, and she gives me a once-over. Unlike Edward’s gaze, which is usually filled with warmth and desire, hers is critical and appraising.

“Is everything all right with you, Kat?” She says, looking concerned. “To be honest, you sound similar to that day when you fell down the stairs and couldn’t remember anything.”

Oh no. She knows, or at least she suspects.

“I’m fine,” I say firmly. “It’s just a bit . . . overwhelming. Being married.”

Elle gives me a sympathetic look. “I suppose there is a difference when everything is official. But I’m sure if you have any difficulties, His Highness will be happy to help. He is one of the kindest men I’ve met. When he offered me a job in the gardens, he was ever so patient with me. Never once did I have a cross word from him.”

For some inexplicable reason, I feel slightly jealous when imagining Edward instructing her in gardening, but I banish the thought. Stop being an idiot, Kat. There’s nothing between Edward and Elle, and even if there were, I’m planning to go home anyway.

“We’re holding the interviews for Henry’s replacement next week,” Elle continues. “Would you like to come and join us?”

I decline as politely as I can. For one thing, I’m not sure if Edward will let me leave the palace. For another, I still can’t remember anything of my past. It’d be risky if I went to this school that I have no recollection of.