Drusilla sighed with relief as she pulled a myriad of pins out of her hair. It had been a long day already, and she still had several hours of ordering Cinderella around, ordering a new dress for the ball, and hopefully ordering a drink. She rang the bell near her dressing table and decided to scream out for good measure.
"CINDER-ELLLL-AAA!" she screeched, tapping a foot impatiently. At least a minute passed and she was taking a deep breath to go again when Cindy appeared, obviously having run through the house from her upstairs garrett.
"Yes, miss?" Cindy said quickly, and Drusilla looked at her with distaste. It helped that, knowing what she knew, she could genuinely not like the girl. Lucinda, who loved everybody, had a harder time, but Dru was under no illusions. Anyone who could involve Carlos in a plot of this level was evil indeed. Dru had met Carlos once - well, seen him from afar, really. He was slick, crafty, and utterly self-focused. He would murder his own mother for - for no reason at all, Dru reasoned, other than that people would be horrified. Of course, he would also give her gifts and pretend to love her if that suited his needs. Dru had no idea how Cindy had come to know him, but she wasn't about to ask. That girl played the role of the much-put-upon serving girl far too well.
"I need all these gowns put away. Except for the red one, the green lace, and the pink taffeta." Dru purposefully picked a few at random which she fully intended to forget in a few minutes once the others were put away. She wondered sometimes that it was so easy to pretend to be cruel, but she supposed all human beings had the capacity for great evil. She went back to her hair unpinning and then stopped. Cindy should do that, too.
"take these pins out", she ordered, and Cindy obediently set aside the gowns she had lifted and came over to help. She was gentle enough, Dru admitted, but likely that was out of self-preservation. Dru wasn't beyond a well deserved (or undeserved) slap.
Lucinda strolled in through the bedroom door and sprawled comfortably on dru's bed. "Mum says I can wear your green lace." she said lazily, flicking through a castaway copy of Palace People.
"What??!" Dru screamed. "She never! You lie!"
"Do not," Lu replied placidly, still flicking pages. "She knows it looks better on me - ooooh, Prince Edward!"
"Oooh, let me see!" Dru abandoned the pin releasing and the arguing at one go and flung herself on the bed next to her sister. "Ooooh," they chorused. Dru cast a sideways glance at Cindy but she was picking up hair pins from the floor and didn't express any prince interest.
"There's a rumour he's holding a ball, you know," Lucinda said with a smile. "Thomas was in the village today and everyone was talking about it."
"No!!" Dru managed to look appropriately shocked and excited, and this time noticed that cindy's head had snapped up and she was watching the girls carefully. Acting time, thought Dru, but then realised that went for all of them. "When??"
"NO idea," Lucinda mourned, going back to flicking pages. "I wish we didn't live so far out of the way."
"Blame Mother," Dru said grumpily, snatching the magazine. "It was her idea to marry some out of the way nobleman."
"Well, at least he died," Lu said calmly, then scowled. "Give that back!"
"No." Drusilla held it at arm's length, mentally processing the look on Cindy's face. She wondered, sometimes, whether Cindy really bought the whole widowed-and-left-with-inheritance story, but if she was half the spy they expected, she probably didn't really take anything at face value. Drusilla and Lucinda struggled over the magazine for a few moments until Dru, genuinely bored, gave it up.
"So how do we get invites to this ball?" Dru asked.
"well." said Lucinda, sitting up, eyes alight, juicy piece-of-unconfirmed-gossip sending her piqued mood packing, "It's rumoured that every girl in the kingdom is invited!"
Dru stared at her in genuine astonishment and felt, rather than saw, Cindy's head lift. "Really?" Dru said.
"That's what they're saying," Lu shrugged as if she didn't care, then giggled like a small girl. "Ooooh, it's so exciting!!" She hugged herself and rolled off the edge of the bed, landing like a cat on her feet and snatching up the green lace. She held it to her and swished back and forth before the mirror.
"That IS exciting," Dru sighed, and began flicking through the discarded magazine. "I wonder how they'll announce it."
"announce what?" dame Montel stood at the bedroom door, one black eyebrow delicately arched. Dru jumped guiltily to her feet as her purported stepmother turned the arched eyebrow on her. Keeping up appearances was very important to Diana, and Dru wondered if that was at all put on. She suspected not: Dame Montel was a woman of appearances, and she had always done it well.
"The ball!" Lucinda squealed, still holding the green dress, twirling around like a girl.
"Lucinda, how many times do I have to tell you to act like a woman, not a child?" Diana admonished, and Lu stood tall, chastised, but with a look of mischief still in her eyes.
"Sorry, Mother," she said obediently, laying the dress on the bed and smoothing it apologetically.
"And you may be interested to know that the ball will come by personal invitation to all the eligible young ladies of the land," Diana continued impassively.
"From the prince himself?" Dru gasped.
"No, foolish girl, by his emissary. A lowly foot soldier, no doubt."
"Still," Lu sighed. "Personal invitation."
Dru smirked a little at Lu's excitement, considering they had just been in the prince's presence earlier that day.
"ALL the ladies?" Cindy enquired tentatively, and three well-dressed heads swiveled to look at her. There was a long silence which, to give her credit, Cindy did not break. The girls held their breath a moment. How would this go over.
"Yes, Cinderella, all," Dame Montel said grandly, almost imperiously. Cindy's face lightened briefly.
"But ONLY if you complete all your chores, and only if you can find -something - to wear," Diana went on. Cindy nodded eagerly. "Something appropriate," Diana added sternly.
Cindy's eyes darted to the pile of beautiful fluff on a chair in the corner, but Diana caught it.
"Not one of my daughters' dresses, they'd never suit you."
Dru noticed she didn't say they wouldn't fit...unfortunately for Cinderella, every single dress fit her like a charm. But it was the principle of the thing. If they hadn't known what they did about Cindy's underhanded plans, Dru might almost feel sorry for her. But she guessed there was a pretty exceptional dress being made - or made already - courtesy of the FGM. And no doubt Carlos had even had some input.
"I'll make you a list of chores," Diana said, and even Drusilla and Lucinda were impressed by her forethought. No matter which way she tried, Cindy was going to lose out somehow. Hopefully for her, Dru thought, it wouldn't be her life.
"CINDER-ELLLL-AAA!" she screeched, tapping a foot impatiently. At least a minute passed and she was taking a deep breath to go again when Cindy appeared, obviously having run through the house from her upstairs garrett.
"Yes, miss?" Cindy said quickly, and Drusilla looked at her with distaste. It helped that, knowing what she knew, she could genuinely not like the girl. Lucinda, who loved everybody, had a harder time, but Dru was under no illusions. Anyone who could involve Carlos in a plot of this level was evil indeed. Dru had met Carlos once - well, seen him from afar, really. He was slick, crafty, and utterly self-focused. He would murder his own mother for - for no reason at all, Dru reasoned, other than that people would be horrified. Of course, he would also give her gifts and pretend to love her if that suited his needs. Dru had no idea how Cindy had come to know him, but she wasn't about to ask. That girl played the role of the much-put-upon serving girl far too well.
"I need all these gowns put away. Except for the red one, the green lace, and the pink taffeta." Dru purposefully picked a few at random which she fully intended to forget in a few minutes once the others were put away. She wondered sometimes that it was so easy to pretend to be cruel, but she supposed all human beings had the capacity for great evil. She went back to her hair unpinning and then stopped. Cindy should do that, too.
"take these pins out", she ordered, and Cindy obediently set aside the gowns she had lifted and came over to help. She was gentle enough, Dru admitted, but likely that was out of self-preservation. Dru wasn't beyond a well deserved (or undeserved) slap.
Lucinda strolled in through the bedroom door and sprawled comfortably on dru's bed. "Mum says I can wear your green lace." she said lazily, flicking through a castaway copy of Palace People.
"What??!" Dru screamed. "She never! You lie!"
"Do not," Lu replied placidly, still flicking pages. "She knows it looks better on me - ooooh, Prince Edward!"
"Oooh, let me see!" Dru abandoned the pin releasing and the arguing at one go and flung herself on the bed next to her sister. "Ooooh," they chorused. Dru cast a sideways glance at Cindy but she was picking up hair pins from the floor and didn't express any prince interest.
"There's a rumour he's holding a ball, you know," Lucinda said with a smile. "Thomas was in the village today and everyone was talking about it."
"No!!" Dru managed to look appropriately shocked and excited, and this time noticed that cindy's head had snapped up and she was watching the girls carefully. Acting time, thought Dru, but then realised that went for all of them. "When??"
"NO idea," Lucinda mourned, going back to flicking pages. "I wish we didn't live so far out of the way."
"Blame Mother," Dru said grumpily, snatching the magazine. "It was her idea to marry some out of the way nobleman."
"Well, at least he died," Lu said calmly, then scowled. "Give that back!"
"No." Drusilla held it at arm's length, mentally processing the look on Cindy's face. She wondered, sometimes, whether Cindy really bought the whole widowed-and-left-with-inheritance story, but if she was half the spy they expected, she probably didn't really take anything at face value. Drusilla and Lucinda struggled over the magazine for a few moments until Dru, genuinely bored, gave it up.
"So how do we get invites to this ball?" Dru asked.
"well." said Lucinda, sitting up, eyes alight, juicy piece-of-unconfirmed-gossip sending her piqued mood packing, "It's rumoured that every girl in the kingdom is invited!"
Dru stared at her in genuine astonishment and felt, rather than saw, Cindy's head lift. "Really?" Dru said.
"That's what they're saying," Lu shrugged as if she didn't care, then giggled like a small girl. "Ooooh, it's so exciting!!" She hugged herself and rolled off the edge of the bed, landing like a cat on her feet and snatching up the green lace. She held it to her and swished back and forth before the mirror.
"That IS exciting," Dru sighed, and began flicking through the discarded magazine. "I wonder how they'll announce it."
"announce what?" dame Montel stood at the bedroom door, one black eyebrow delicately arched. Dru jumped guiltily to her feet as her purported stepmother turned the arched eyebrow on her. Keeping up appearances was very important to Diana, and Dru wondered if that was at all put on. She suspected not: Dame Montel was a woman of appearances, and she had always done it well.
"The ball!" Lucinda squealed, still holding the green dress, twirling around like a girl.
"Lucinda, how many times do I have to tell you to act like a woman, not a child?" Diana admonished, and Lu stood tall, chastised, but with a look of mischief still in her eyes.
"Sorry, Mother," she said obediently, laying the dress on the bed and smoothing it apologetically.
"And you may be interested to know that the ball will come by personal invitation to all the eligible young ladies of the land," Diana continued impassively.
"From the prince himself?" Dru gasped.
"No, foolish girl, by his emissary. A lowly foot soldier, no doubt."
"Still," Lu sighed. "Personal invitation."
Dru smirked a little at Lu's excitement, considering they had just been in the prince's presence earlier that day.
"ALL the ladies?" Cindy enquired tentatively, and three well-dressed heads swiveled to look at her. There was a long silence which, to give her credit, Cindy did not break. The girls held their breath a moment. How would this go over.
"Yes, Cinderella, all," Dame Montel said grandly, almost imperiously. Cindy's face lightened briefly.
"But ONLY if you complete all your chores, and only if you can find -something - to wear," Diana went on. Cindy nodded eagerly. "Something appropriate," Diana added sternly.
Cindy's eyes darted to the pile of beautiful fluff on a chair in the corner, but Diana caught it.
"Not one of my daughters' dresses, they'd never suit you."
Dru noticed she didn't say they wouldn't fit...unfortunately for Cinderella, every single dress fit her like a charm. But it was the principle of the thing. If they hadn't known what they did about Cindy's underhanded plans, Dru might almost feel sorry for her. But she guessed there was a pretty exceptional dress being made - or made already - courtesy of the FGM. And no doubt Carlos had even had some input.
"I'll make you a list of chores," Diana said, and even Drusilla and Lucinda were impressed by her forethought. No matter which way she tried, Cindy was going to lose out somehow. Hopefully for her, Dru thought, it wouldn't be her life.
Chapter four: ugly stepsister no.1
Drusilla sighed with relief as she pulled a myriad of pins out of her hair. It had been a long day already, and she still had several hours of ordering Cinderella around, ordering a new dress for the ball, and hopefully ordering a drink. She rang the bell near her dressing table and decided to scream out for good measure.
"CINDER-ELLLL-AAA!" she screeched, tapping a foot impatiently. At least a minute passed and she was taking a deep breath to go again when Cindy appeared, obviously having run through the house from her upstairs garrett.
"Yes, miss?" Cindy said quickly, and Drusilla looked at her with distaste. It helped that, knowing what she knew, she could genuinely not like the girl. Lucinda, who loved everybody, had a harder time, but Dru was under no illusions. Anyone who could involve Carlos in a plot of this level was evil indeed. Dru had met Carlos once - well, seen him from afar, really. He was slick, crafty, and utterly self-focused. He would murder his own mother for - for no reason at all, Dru reasoned, other than that people would be horrified. Of course, he would also give her gifts and pretend to love her if that suited his needs. Dru had no idea how Cindy had come to know him, but she wasn't about to ask. That girl played the role of the much-put-upon serving girl far too well.
"I need all these gowns put away. Except for the red one, the green lace, and the pink taffeta." Dru purposefully picked a few at random which she fully intended to forget in a few minutes once the others were put away. She wondered sometimes that it was so easy to pretend to be cruel, but she supposed all human beings had the capacity for great evil. She went back to her hair unpinning and then stopped. Cindy should do that, too.
"take these pins out", she ordered, and Cindy obediently set aside the gowns she had lifted and came over to help. She was gentle enough, Dru admitted, but likely that was out of self-preservation. Dru wasn't beyond a well deserved (or undeserved) slap.
Lucinda strolled in through the bedroom door and sprawled comfortably on dru's bed. "Mum says I can wear your green lace." she said lazily, flicking through a castaway copy of Palace People.
"What??!" Dru screamed. "She never! You lie!"
"Do not," Lu replied placidly, still flicking pages. "She knows it looks better on me - ooooh, Prince Edward!"
"Oooh, let me see!" Dru abandoned the pin releasing and the arguing at one go and flung herself on the bed next to her sister. "Ooooh," they chorused. Dru cast a sideways glance at Cindy but she was picking up hair pins from the floor and didn't express any prince interest.
"There's a rumour he's holding a ball, you know," Lucinda said with a smile. "Thomas was in the village today and everyone was talking about it."
"No!!" Dru managed to look appropriately shocked and excited, and this time noticed that cindy's head had snapped up and she was watching the girls carefully. Acting time, thought Dru, but then realised that went for all of them. "When??"
"NO idea," Lucinda mourned, going back to flicking pages. "I wish we didn't live so far out of the way."
"Blame Mother," Dru said grumpily, snatching the magazine. "It was her idea to marry some out of the way nobleman."
"Well, at least he died," Lu said calmly, then scowled. "Give that back!"
"No." Drusilla held it at arm's length, mentally processing the look on Cindy's face. She wondered, sometimes, whether Cindy really bought the whole widowed-and-left-with-inheritance story, but if she was half the spy they expected, she probably didn't really take anything at face value. Drusilla and Lucinda struggled over the magazine for a few moments until Dru, genuinely bored, gave it up.
"So how do we get invites to this ball?" Dru asked.
"well." said Lucinda, sitting up, eyes alight, juicy piece-of-unconfirmed-gossip sending her piqued mood packing, "It's rumoured that every girl in the kingdom is invited!"
Dru stared at her in genuine astonishment and felt, rather than saw, Cindy's head lift. "Really?" Dru said.
"That's what they're saying," Lu shrugged as if she didn't care, then giggled like a small girl. "Ooooh, it's so exciting!!" She hugged herself and rolled off the edge of the bed, landing like a cat on her feet and snatching up the green lace. She held it to her and swished back and forth before the mirror.
"That IS exciting," Dru sighed, and began flicking through the discarded magazine. "I wonder how they'll announce it."
"announce what?" dame Montel stood at the bedroom door, one black eyebrow delicately arched. Dru jumped guiltily to her feet as her purported stepmother turned the arched eyebrow on her. Keeping up appearances was very important to Diana, and Dru wondered if that was at all put on. She suspected not: Dame Montel was a woman of appearances, and she had always done it well.
"The ball!" Lucinda squealed, still holding the green dress, twirling around like a girl.
"Lucinda, how many times do I have to tell you to act like a woman, not a child?" Diana admonished, and Lu stood tall, chastised, but with a look of mischief still in her eyes.
"Sorry, Mother," she said obediently, laying the dress on the bed and smoothing it apologetically.
"And you may be interested to know that the ball will come by personal invitation to all the eligible young ladies of the land," Diana continued impassively.
"From the prince himself?" Dru gasped.
"No, foolish girl, by his emissary. A lowly foot soldier, no doubt."
"Still," Lu sighed. "Personal invitation."
Dru smirked a little at Lu's excitement, considering they had just been in the prince's presence earlier that day.
"ALL the ladies?" Cindy enquired tentatively, and three well-dressed heads swiveled to look at her. There was a long silence which, to give her credit, Cindy did not break. The girls held their breath a moment. How would this go over.
"Yes, Cinderella, all," Dame Montel said grandly, almost imperiously. Cindy's face lightened briefly.
"But ONLY if you complete all your chores, and only if you can find -something - to wear," Diana went on. Cindy nodded eagerly. "Something appropriate," Diana added sternly.
Cindy's eyes darted to the pile of beautiful fluff on a chair in the corner, but Diana caught it.
"Not one of my daughters' dresses, they'd never suit you."
Dru noticed she didn't say they wouldn't fit...unfortunately for Cinderella, every single dress fit her like a charm. But it was the principle of the thing. If they hadn't known what they did about Cindy's underhanded plans, Dru might almost feel sorry for her. But she guessed there was a pretty exceptional dress being made - or made already - courtesy of the FGM. And no doubt Carlos had even had some input.
"I'll make you a list of chores," Diana said, and even Drusilla and Lucinda were impressed by her forethought. No matter which way she tried, Cindy was going to lose out somehow. Hopefully for her, Dru thought, it wouldn't be her life. 
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