Dancing on Glass

Devil May cry

"Young Miss!" she cried, panting, "A lady does not run about like a wild animal."

"I told you she's more monkey then girl," one of the boys said. They were completely identical; Cinderella couldn't tell how anyone would tell them apart.

"And you're more pig then boy," his brother sniggered, locking his hands behind his head and rocking back on his heels, laughing at his twin, "I saw you scoff the last of the cake yesterday."

"Young Masters! We do not throw insults at each other!"

"Alright, alright," Rosalia said, walking to her sons, adjusting her daughter in her arms, "Let's try and be nice to each other."

"Mama! We want to go on a picnic!" her daughter cheered.

"Argh, no, we want to go riding with Uncle Grey," one of the twin cut in.

Cinderella quietly got to her feet as the twins argued with their sister, who was hissing at them like a cat from her mother's arms while Rosalia laughed and their nanny despaired.

Slipping over to one of the maids, she beckoned her aside.

"I was hoping you might help me out of the castle," she whispered, "After that display, I probably shouldn't be seen walking around by myself and I need to find my original uniform."

The maid nodded then looked over to Rosalia. "Do you not wish to say goodbye to the Mistress.?"

Cinderella glanced back at Rosalia who was soothing all three of her children and the nanny and organising a plan for the rest of the day – first order of business being to pack a lunch and find her husband so he could join them.

"I'll see her soon, I don't want to interrupt," she whispered.

The maid flicked a look towards her, then nodded and quietly opened the side door that led into the next room before they both exited the quarters and made their way out into the main castle.

~~~~

Cinderella returned just in time to ready the tea things for the guests Lady Constantia would be entertaining that afternoon.

The rest of her family were none the wiser to her morning adventures, having slept in late and were still getting ready. Giselle was calling on a friend and Jezabelle was meeting a friend at a gallery so they would be gone for the rest of the day, leaving the house for Lady Constantia to entertain her own friends with a spot of tea and gossip.

Spot on two the first of the guests rolled up and the stream continued from there until there were ten women swanning about in the main room, settling down, admiring each other's clothes, despairing over their sons and daughters, discussing the festival and the scandal that was Prince Andrew and Princess Catolina and, of course, the celebration of Lady Constantia's engagement.

All the while, Cinderella and Dia slipped between them, serving tea and various sweets, unnoticed.

Always unnoticed.

Cinderella wouldn't be surprised if she arrived at court and not a single person who had ever visited the house recognised her as the serving girl dressed in rags.

She glanced up from another tea she was preparing, watching as one of the women very nearly slapped Dia in the face as she waved her hands around in broad gestures, animating a story, making the ladies laugh but no one noticed Dia swerving out of the way.

She looked away again and moved the strainer to the next teacup.

Maybe she could give her stepmother a significant percentage of the fortune and one of the other estates under the family name when she came into her heritage.