Cinderella and The Shape Shifting Mice

Chapter Twenty Seven

THE MICE

Ella was crying when she came in and I had one guess it had to do with Georgie. Gus-Gus, Marcie, and I all had to wait to talk to Ella until her visitor Grace left and then Georgie showed up, and now I still wasn't sure if we would have time to talk because she needed to get ready for dinner.
"Come here," I said, standing and opening my arms and Ella collapsed into them, sobbing.

"I'm starting to like him Jack, I'm afraid," she blurted, shoulders shaking.

I rubbed her back, trying to soothe her. "It'll work out my dear I promise. I have some news but I'm afraid it's going to have to wait until after your dinner."

She looked up at me, concern written all over her face. "Is it bad news?"

I shook my head. "Not exactly but promise me something when you go down to eat, don't trust anyone but Georgie okay? I'll explain everything when you get back here."

She nodded slowly and Marcie took her and lead her into the bathroom to get ready for dinner. I looked at Gus Gus who was sitting in the other chair in the corner, frowning.
"You think we should tell her now, or wait a little longer and see how far it gets with the Duke?" he asked me softly so she wouldn't hear.

I shrugged, contemplating. "How many women are left?"

"Thirty I think. Twenty tomorrow according to what I saw on the Duke's desk," he answered.

"We can wait a little longer. I just hope nothing happens until then..." I trailed off, as Ella came out of the bathroom dressed in the most beautiful cocktail dress. It wasn't distasteful, and it wasn't all blue this time, but white with an accented dark blue lace. Marcie had pulled her hair back and I nodded my approval.
"You look stunning Ella. Oh how I wish your parents could see how beautiful you've grown up to be."

She smiled at me and shrugged. "I've got to get going, but thank you Jack." She gave me, Marcie, and Gus a quick hug before leaving the room and I sighed as the lock clicked shut.
"Come on, we've got work to do."

ELLA

I wasn't late thank goodness, but I was the last one in two minutes before Georgie strolled in dressed in a suit. It wasn't as expertly fitted as his one from the ball had been, but he still looked incredibly handsome. Every girl in the room looked stunning in their dresses and I wondered how Georgie could stand doing all this. All the beautiful woman and he had to pick one.

I was back at the head of the table across from him, next to Grace and June who was again dressed in yellow. All our clothes seemed to be provided for us and I wondered how they could have gotten all our sizes when I remembered the paperwork Mary had to fill out and I was shocked she knew my size. Maybe she was the one who had requested all the blue clothing I was wearing.

Dinner started with a flourish and the meal was excellent right down to the red velvet cake served for dessert. Grace didn't want to eat hers so I took it and finished it in minutes. I looked up at Georgie who was looking at me and trying to suppress a laugh.

"Ladies we have a little surprise for you if you wouldn't mind following me into the drawing room," Sam announced and we all stood and followed him and Georgie into a large room off the casual dining room. Large paintings of long gone people hung on the walls and love seats and chairs were spread all about the room. There was an unlit grand fireplace due to the warm weather, but it was still magnificent.
"One at a time we will be calling you into this little room for a few simple questions so don't fret over anything, it'll go by very quickly," Sam instructed in his deep and calming tone. I saw the frantic looks on some girls faces and my own heartbeat started to quicken. What was this about? Questions? Questions about what?
Sam called the first name and I sat down on a loveseat next to Grace.

"I'm nervous," I blurted and she gave me a knowing look.

"You'll be fine. Just be you, he likes that," she whispered and I gave a curt nod. I ended up telling her almost everything that afternoon in my room. I told her it was me and that I ran away from him because I needed to be home before my step-mom and that I had met him before at the market. I'd told her a little about my home life and how awful it is but I couldn't bring myself to tell her why I was really allowed to be here. I was afraid of what would happen and I didn't doubt Mary a second when she said she would find out. I had mice finding out my information, I didn't want to know what kind of rats she had running around to try and stop them.

Grace and I talked on the couch for a while about the palace and her own home life, the number of girls dwindling in the room until they called her name and I was one of the few left. I was literally left to twiddle my thumbs while I waited until finally I was the last one called.

I walked into the room and Georgie, Sam, and the Duke were all sitting facing a lone chair.

"Please, sit," the Duke gestured, holding a clipboard, and I sat, the pit in my stomach weighing me down.

THE PRINCE

Interview after interview and I could easily tell which girls weren't E and which one's it could have been. I wasn't consulted on the questions that would be asked, the Duke had done all that himself which minorly irritated me but it was fine. Politics and all that. Drag me through this hell a little longer.

Ella came and sat down last, looking beautiful as always and I thought back to our time earlier in the library and I smiled which she returned hesitantly.

"We just have a few simple questions to ask you, are you ready?" the Duke asked and she nodded.

"What was the color of E's gown?"
"Blue."
"And the shoes?"
"Silver."
"Where did the Prince take her after they were dancing?"
"The gardens."
"And the flavor of the cake?"

Ella hesitated. "I don't know. I don't like cake."

"But you didn't notice what other people had?" the Duke asked, leaning forward and she shook her head.

"It was all a little much that night."

He nodded and wrote something down. "Did E lose anything that night?"
I looked at Ella, taking a deep breath. We had heard an assortment of answers tonight, and only one so far had guessed a shoe. "Her shoe?"
The Duke nodded and reached behind his chair and drew out a little box with the shoe inside. He drew it and and Ella stared at it, passive. She scooted back in her chair a little, further away from the shoe. All the other girls had gasped upon seeing it but she almost seemed to stare at it as if he was pulling a poisonous snake out of there instead.
"Would you mind trying this on?"
She shrugged and slipped off her left shoe and I grabbed the slipper from the Duke's hand and knelt down myself to put it on. A number had fit into the size to a varying degree, and those that didn't would be sent home tomorrow. I slipped the heel onto her foot and it fit perfectly. I looked up at her and her eyes blazed into mine and she looked away quickly.

"One last question dear," the Duke said, looking down at his clipboard as I took the shoe off. "How'd they get to the middle of the garden maze?"
Ella's eyes flashed briefly as she slipped her shoe back on and stood. "What maze? It was just the garden."

And then she walked out.