Twice Upon A Time (Unfinished Fairy Tales #2)(56)
Not feeling like being waylaid again, I stumble outside into the gardens. The cool, fragrant air surrounds me, and I inhale deeply. The ballroom is way too hot and stuffy. I take another deep breath, wondering how long it’ll take before I can get out of this stifling outfit.
“Katriona?”
A dark shadow falls across my path. Although it’s nighttime, the gardens are brightly lit with dozens of lanterns, so I’m able to make out the person who interrupted my solitude. It’s Bianca, tall and slender, in an elegant turquoise gown lined with pearls and diamonds. She looks like she could shoot a commercial for Chanel.
“Katriona.” Her words are cutting, cold, and there’s no trace of politeness on her face. Without others nearby, she doesn’t bother to keep up appearances.
I’d love to get away from her, but it looks like she wants to talk to me. I straighten my spine and tell myself I have nothing to fear. I am the princess, and my social ranking is far higher than hers. She won’t intimidate me, and I won’t be intimidated.
“Yes?”
“It should be me receiving the Moryns,” she hisses. “Don’t you know how drab you look compared to the emperor’s fiancée? I never knew you could be this sneaky. You wanted to be princess and tried to imitate me, but knowing you could never succeed, you turned to shady methods.”
I stare at her. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“We both know you don’t have a chance of attracting a man higher-ranked than an earl, not to mention the prince. You may have tricked Edward into marrying you, but how long do you think your seduction spell will work on him?”
“A seduction spell?” I raise an eyebrow. “God, Bianca, do you honestly believe that I caught Edward’s attention because of some stupid spell? Have you even seen him beyond his good looks and social standing, and learned that he isn’t the type who is drawn by looks alone? If he were, he would have proposed to you long ago.”
Cold fury radiates from Bianca. “How dare you criticize me? You, whom nobody bothered to spare a glance toward?”
I probably shouldn’t have taunted her, but her attitude got on my nerves. “So what if I was overlooked? I’m the one who married the prince.”
“You despicable . . .” Bianca raises a hand, a murderous gleam in her eyes. I step backward, alarmed and surprised at the possibility that she wants to attack me. Not that I’m afraid. Bianca may be taller, but I doubt any lady lessons in Athelia would include karate.
We stare at each other for a moment. Bianca breathes heavily, but she lowers her hand.
“I’m warning you, Katriona, don’t think you can get away with your schemes. One day, I’ll make you regret stealing what was mine.”
I’m about to retort that she has no claim on Edward, but she’s already turned on her heel and stalked away.
Frustrated and furious, I quell the temptation to hurl a stone at her retreating back. I hate her. I don’t know how Elle could have tolerated her and Lady Bradshaw. And I’m so glad that I didn’t let her get Edward.
Speaking of my husband, there seems to be an uncanny connection between us. Only a few minutes after Bianca left, Edward appears, his brow furrowed.
“Kat? Why did you leave the dance?”
I tell him about feeling stifled and uncomfortable.
“Perhaps you’d better sit down and get some rest.” He looks concerned. “I remember when we used to practice dancing, you’d be out of breath quite soon.”
I shouldn’t be this weak. I’m only twenty-four, and I’ve been in pretty good shape since I joined the karate club. “I hope that the guests won’t miss me.”
“They’re having a fine time dancing,” he says, guiding me to a bench among the hedges. As I walk, something snaps, and the slipper on my right foot comes off.
“Dang.” I lift my skirts to look for my slipper, but Edward instantly yanks my hand away.
“What are you doing? You should never expose your feet in public.”
I resist the temptation to roll my eyes. There’s no one around, I’m wearing black silk stockings, and I didn’t raise my skirt anywhere above my knees.
“You didn’t mind seeing my bare feet when I met you in the gardens on the day of my presentation.”
He has the grace to look guilty. He also overlooked the rules when I fell down the stairs in Henry’s house and landed in his arms. If he truly cared about propriety, he wouldn’t have prevented me from trying to get up.
“My slipper seems to have fallen off.”
Alarmed, he kneels down before me. “Let me have a look.”
He examines the slipper with disapproval in his face. “I am no expert in women’s fashion, but this type of shoe is not fit for dancing. The sole is too thin, and the straps are too flimsy to keep the soles attached. I can tie the straps back, but they are likely to break off again when you dance. Speak to Amelie and tell her not to order any more shoes like these.”
I glance at him cradling my ankle, intent on tying the straps into place, and the strongest memory I’ve ever had hits me with the force of a charging T-rex. I know that he has done this before. He was bent over my foot, his hands gentle, treating my foot as though it were the most exquisite crystal goblet they serve at dinner.
It feels like something goes pop in my head, and I shut my eyes for a second, massaging my temples. When the pain gradually abates, I open my eyes and feel like a new person, like I have done meditation in some remote mountain and emerged with a completely different mindset. This gesture of Edward’s is the last straw that broke the camel’s back. The barrier that prevented me from accessing my memories is completely toppled. Every single thing I’ve done in Athelia, every moment I’ve spent with Edward, flips through my mind like a slideshow that never ends.