You Are Mine (Mine #1)(60)
Everyone moves to stand next to me, Zade entering the shop and closing the door once we're all in. I wait for Zade to say something, but he only stares at me. It makes his role appear less domineering, but hopefully a minor detail.
“Morning, Katherine,” I say. “You've met everyone except my sister Bethany.”
“Nice to meet you and welcome to everyone. Please pick a seat. Mavis will you help them get settled?”
Mavis, who has a narrow, happy face, steps forward. “Of course.”
“Thank you.” Katherine turns to me. “Would you help me gather some refreshments?”
I wonder at her asking me and not Mavis, but I've done more than enough in a kitchen to know my way around. Really, it's been too long since I've helped. Plus, the distance from Zade might help clear my awareness of him. “Of course.”
I follow her past the main seating area down a small hall to a tiny kitchen. She pumps water into a jug and directs me to cut the stems off some strawberries.
In a lowered voice she says, “Chancellor Zade visited a few days ago.”
“Zade?” I pause cutting. Once the shock has worn off, I resume, fear making me smash the berries more than slice them. “Was he angry about the dresses?”
“Not at all.”
While I'm grateful he didn't punish her, why else would he visit? She pulls out a tray and fills it with glasses. When the tray is full, she turns her attention on me. “I thought you should know he finished paying for the entire wardrobe I gave you and commissioned ball gowns for you, your sisters, and Waverly.”
“He did?” I'm too stunned to put the strawberries in the jug. Katherine takes them from me and does it. Dresses? Not only mine, but Cynthia and Bethany's? And Waverly, a servant?
“Actually, he overpaid. Insisted on it.”
She grabs a plate of biscuits and places it on the tray. It's all ready to go, but we stand there. Hearing this is not helping to distract my thoughts from him as I'd prefer. I don't know what to think of him.
“Why did he pay you?”
“I don't know, but I wanted you be aware of what he did,” she says. “He's different. Next time you need something, ask him for the money. I doubt he'd want to know what it's for.”
Would he really be so careless about his money with me? “He's supposed to let me know when I need something.”
“But men don't always know, do they?”
They rarely do. “But that's not how it works.”
“It will if you ask.”
I look at her swollen eyes. “Are you all right?”
She rearranges the glasses. “I'm fine.”
“No, really Katherine, how are you? You don't seem yourself.”
“I'm not,” she whispers. “But no one can do anything about it.”
“What happened? At least let me try.”
“It would only lead to more trouble.”
Despite my protests, she picks up the tray and leaves the room. What could possibly be the problem? She's done so much for me, I hate to see anything bad happen to her. It's easier to focus on her situation than on Zade as I grab the jug and follow after her.
Everyone is settled on the chairs and sofa. Katherine has left the tray on the table and is handing everyone a glass. After pouring everyone some strawberry lemon water, I set the jug on the table next to the tray and pass around the biscuits. Once everyone is served, I grab my own and take the only free space left, next to Zade.
“Waverly,” I say, “the idea of having an exotic theme is a good one. Can you tell us more about balls in Envado?”
“Well, I've never been to a Chardonian one to compare it to, but next to weddings and babies, they are the most celebrated events. Magicians come from all over to cast for them.”
“Spells at a ball?” At the one I attended, there weren't any.
“What sort of spells?” Cynthia asks.
“The gowns for one,” Waverly says. “It's one of the few times women wear formal dresses, the type that takes two or three people to get you into. All of them are spelled in some way. They change colors, styles, they sparkle. They vary as much as the people in attendance.”
“A spelled dress?” Katherine says. “I've never thought of that.
I say, “You haven't? Seeing the dresses you've created so far and hearing your ideas, I was sure every idea for a dress had crossed your mind.”
“Would you be able to spell a ball gown or two for me, Chancellor?” Katherine asks.
“Changing colors is simple if you have examples. Sparkles or flashes easy as well. But, I've never been great at switching styles. It'd help if there were two dresses I could spell to become one alternating piece.”
Wearing even more new dress styles? How will people react to this? Will we get in even more trouble for it? I don't know if having spelled dresses is a problem or not. Despite problems that may arise, I'm curious to see what they'd be like. Maybe even wear one. And wearing one that Zade helped to spell for me? The thought brings the tingling feeling back.
“It sounds as if you've had a lot of experience with this before,” Cynthia says.
“A few times. I've a sister I help on occasion.”