“You don’t need a lot of ornaments,” said my godmother. “Now for the dress.” The gleaming cloud of gold and yellow settled around me, and she pinned the diamonds at my neck in a satisfied manner and handed me a pair of long yellow gloves. “Oh, that’s lovely, very lovely. Where’s a mirror?”
I ran upstairs into the hall, then stopped, heart pounding, before my reflection. A dark-haired, elegant young lady looked at me, fashionable, glowing. I turned before the mirror, transfixed.
“Ella!” The voice brought me back. I ran downstairs again, nearly floating. “Well! You’re ready then, except for the slippers. Try these on, they’re very special, they’re made of vair.”
“What?” My mind went back to my language lessons. “ Verre ? Doesn’t that mean glass? For slippers ?”
Mrs. Wilkins chuckled. “Glass! For a dance? They’d smash to smithereens! No, this vair is a kind of squirrel fur that isn’t used much these days, but it’s similar to ermine, and I thought you’d need something warm. After all, it is October!” She handed me two dark leather slippers lined with soft black and white fur.
“They’re wonderful!” I slipped them on. “But this one’s a bit big—”
“Is it? My, you do have tiny feet. Perhaps—”
Just then the clop of hooves and the crunch of carriage wheels sounded outside. “That’s the carriage,” said my godmother. “Quick now, you want to have all the time you can. Would you like my handkerchief to stuff in the shoe?”
I reached over and embraced her. “No, I think it’ll be all right. And how can I ever thank you?”
“By having a wonderful time.”
There was a knock at the door upstairs. I tied on my cloak with trembling fingers, and Godmother led the way up the stairs and opened the front door. In the flicker of streetlights, I could see a sturdy carriage waiting outside.
“Goodbye, and thank you again—” I whispered, turning and clasping Mrs. Wilkins’s hand.
“Now, now—don’t forget, it’ll pick you up at midnight.” She blinked mistily, and I turned to the driver, who handed me up into the carriage. As he latched the door, I sat forward and looked out the window. Godmother was waving, then chuckling, and as the carriage rolled off I faintly heard, “Glass slippers, indeed!”
10
At the Ball
The ballroom glowed with the light of a thousand candles. Music and the chatter of hundreds of voices filled every corner of the room as dozens of richly dressed couples danced. It was intoxicating—it was thrilling—and I was hiding behind a potted palm.
It wasn’t easy, I had discovered, to go to a ball and remain incognito. There were people there that I recognized. When I handed my card to the royal footman and he announced me, I trembled lest someone hear him. Luckily the ballroom was noisy, and his “Miss Merton” went unnoticed.
Then, almost the first person I saw after I slipped through the hall into the ballroom was Anna Cameron. I wanted to rush over and greet her, and I started to, but— How could I explain? Anna, I’m here, but you mustn’t tell my stepmama! She thinks I’m home scrubbing the pans!
No. That wouldn’t do at all, and as I moved away from her, I made another unwelcome discovery. If I had to avoid everyone I knew, then who would introduce me to prospective dancing partners? It was all very confusing, and it had finally led me to the potted palm, where I stood nibbling a cake I had plucked from a passing footman’s tray.
A waltz was playing, and peering through the fronds, I could see Anna dancing with Mr. Totley among the whirling crowd. I sighed and brushed the crumbs from my hands. This was going to take some serious thought. Meanwhile, the room was growing uncomfortably warm. I slipped out from behind the palm and skirted around the edge of the ballroom, surreptitiously glancing behind curtains until I found one concealing a glass-paned door that opened onto a terrace. Perhaps in the cool air I could map
I ran upstairs into the hall, then stopped, heart pounding, before my reflection. A dark-haired, elegant young lady looked at me, fashionable, glowing. I turned before the mirror, transfixed.
“Ella!” The voice brought me back. I ran downstairs again, nearly floating. “Well! You’re ready then, except for the slippers. Try these on, they’re very special, they’re made of vair.”
“What?” My mind went back to my language lessons. “ Verre ? Doesn’t that mean glass? For slippers ?”
Mrs. Wilkins chuckled. “Glass! For a dance? They’d smash to smithereens! No, this vair is a kind of squirrel fur that isn’t used much these days, but it’s similar to ermine, and I thought you’d need something warm. After all, it is October!” She handed me two dark leather slippers lined with soft black and white fur.
“They’re wonderful!” I slipped them on. “But this one’s a bit big—”
“Is it? My, you do have tiny feet. Perhaps—”
Just then the clop of hooves and the crunch of carriage wheels sounded outside. “That’s the carriage,” said my godmother. “Quick now, you want to have all the time you can. Would you like my handkerchief to stuff in the shoe?”
I reached over and embraced her. “No, I think it’ll be all right. And how can I ever thank you?”
“By having a wonderful time.”
There was a knock at the door upstairs. I tied on my cloak with trembling fingers, and Godmother led the way up the stairs and opened the front door. In the flicker of streetlights, I could see a sturdy carriage waiting outside.
“Goodbye, and thank you again—” I whispered, turning and clasping Mrs. Wilkins’s hand.
“Now, now—don’t forget, it’ll pick you up at midnight.” She blinked mistily, and I turned to the driver, who handed me up into the carriage. As he latched the door, I sat forward and looked out the window. Godmother was waving, then chuckling, and as the carriage rolled off I faintly heard, “Glass slippers, indeed!”
10
At the Ball
The ballroom glowed with the light of a thousand candles. Music and the chatter of hundreds of voices filled every corner of the room as dozens of richly dressed couples danced. It was intoxicating—it was thrilling—and I was hiding behind a potted palm.
It wasn’t easy, I had discovered, to go to a ball and remain incognito. There were people there that I recognized. When I handed my card to the royal footman and he announced me, I trembled lest someone hear him. Luckily the ballroom was noisy, and his “Miss Merton” went unnoticed.
Then, almost the first person I saw after I slipped through the hall into the ballroom was Anna Cameron. I wanted to rush over and greet her, and I started to, but— How could I explain? Anna, I’m here, but you mustn’t tell my stepmama! She thinks I’m home scrubbing the pans!
No. That wouldn’t do at all, and as I moved away from her, I made another unwelcome discovery. If I had to avoid everyone I knew, then who would introduce me to prospective dancing partners? It was all very confusing, and it had finally led me to the potted palm, where I stood nibbling a cake I had plucked from a passing footman’s tray.
A waltz was playing, and peering through the fronds, I could see Anna dancing with Mr. Totley among the whirling crowd. I sighed and brushed the crumbs from my hands. This was going to take some serious thought. Meanwhile, the room was growing uncomfortably warm. I slipped out from behind the palm and skirted around the edge of the ballroom, surreptitiously glancing behind curtains until I found one concealing a glass-paned door that opened onto a terrace. Perhaps in the cool air I could map
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