Serial Fun - Final Installment (13)

 So we arrive at the conclusion of the matter.  I really thought I could do it in five or six chunks; I find it highly amusing that we finish with 13, lol.  If you haven't read the whole thing, click HERE, and read from the bottom up.  Thanks for indulging me as I did one more edit through the manuscript.  I have no idea if I will ever do anything else with this, but I have enjoyed sharing it.

I am pretty sure I will have some real sewing content tomorrow, lol.

            To the Princess, waiting in the carriage, it seemed that Gregory and Godfrey were in the manor house for an eternity.  She’d brought a small embroidery project to occupy her time but was having great difficulty in keeping her mind on it.  At one point the door opened, and Rita leaned forward eagerly only to see Henry, the page, come out and speak to a pair of the soldiers who had accompanied the carriage.  They handed their horse’s reigns to two of their comrades and went into the manor house.  When they’d gone, Rita called softly through the one of the open carriage windows, “Henry!”

            Having completed his errand, Henry turned to her and handed her the velvet pillow through the open window.  “Yes, Your Highness?”

            “What is going on in there?” Rita queried with the barest touch of impatience as she stuffed the pillow into the corner behind her back.  “It’s taking forever!”

            Henry grinned and shook his head.  “The Grand Duke is putting the old lady in her place, and the two snooty girls with her.  He’s done it up proper, I’d say.”

            “Did you see Isabella?”  Rita was fighting the urge to go and peek in the window.

            “Aye.  They’ll all be out soon, I guess.”

            Rita sighed.  “I certainly hope so.”  She relaxed back into her seat and half-heartedly returned her attention to the embroidery.  She frowned and told herself that she would stitch until someone came out of the door.  However, no sooner had she re-established herself with her place in the pattern than a movement caught her eye and she saw Henry hurry to the door to relieve Gregory of something he was carrying.  Rita dropped her work onto the seat when she recognized Isabella’s trunk.  Henry took it from Gregory, who turned to offer Isabella a hand down the front step.  The Grand Duke followed Isabella out of the house and shut the door firmly.  Rita bit her lip in excitement.  They’d done it!  Isabella was free!

            Henry carefully placed Isabella’s trunk onto the carriage luggage rack as the footman opened the door.  Isabella gathered her skirts, shifted the slipper she was carrying and took the footman’s hand...then stopped in shock when she saw the Princess.  “Rita!”  She gasped.  “How did you get here?”

            Rita was very nearly bouncing on the seat in delight.  “Get in!” she urged.  “I’ll tell you all about it!”

            Isabella took a deep breath -- the day was feeling less and less like reality -- climbed into the carriage and sat down opposite Rita.  Godfrey climbed in next and sat down beside Isabella.  He smiled at her sympathetically.  “Is your head spinning?”  He asked as Gregory picked up the embroidery from the seat, handed it to Rita and took his seat beside his sister.

            As the footman closed the carriage door, Isabella smiled ruefully.  “It has been rather...” her voice trailed off as she looked at the Prince and Princess.  Sitting side by side, the sibling resemblance between them was obvious.  It was Rita that Prince Gregory had reminded Isabella of at the ball...that was why he looked so familiar...

            Seeing her confusion, Gregory spoke up.  “Isabella, I don’t believe you have been properly introduced to this impetuous young lady.  May I present to you my little sister, Princess Gwendolyn Marguerite Prudence Genevieve Anne...whom I usually refer to as Rita.”  Rita giggled at Isabella’s wide-eyed astonishment.

            “Your sister!”  Isabella exclaimed as the carriage rolled down the manor house drive.  “Rita, why didn’t you tell me?”

            Sheepish now, Rita looked down at her embroidery.  “I was afraid you’d be intimidated by the title, and I just wanted to be a plain friend.”  She glanced up at Isabella and smiled mischievously.  “It all worked out, didn’t it?”

            Isabella took a deep breath and glanced around at the three of them.  It was finally sinking into her that the misery of the past five years was truly and forever at an end.  To her surprise, tears flooded her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.  She gave a queer kind of sobbing chuckle as she self-consciously wiped her tears.  “Yes,” she sniffed, “It all worked out.”

            Godfrey pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to Isabella.  “I’m sorry to have shocked you like this.”

            Isabella sniffed again, thankfully took the handkerchief and, trying to stave off what felt very close to an embarrassing emotional breakdown, buried her face in the fine linen square and took several deep shuddering breaths.  At long last, she raised her face and wiped her eyes. Finally, she smiled ruefully at him.  “I’ll be all right. Really.” She sniffed again and wiped her eyes once more before continuing.  “In all honesty, I don’t know how else you could have done it.”  She looked around at them again.  “Thank you.”  Then, she looked squarely at Rita.  “Rita, I don’t know what to say to you...”

            Rita grinned at her.  “Don’t say anything.  I’m just glad you’ll be living at the palace for now.”

            “Isabella,” Gregory frowned, “There’s one thing I’m curious about.  Why did Lady Alicia call you ‘Cinderella’?”

            Isabella winced.  “That was the nickname they called me virtually all the time.”

            “Cinderella was your nickname?” Rita asked incredulously.  “Why ever did they call you that?”

            Isabella sighed and took another deep breath.  “I suppose it will have to be told sooner or later.  You see, my room up in the tower was drafty and cold in the wintertime.  The first winter after my father died, I carried a small coal brazier up to try and keep some heat up there.  I had to keep putting coal on it, though, and it seemed like I was forever having to run all the way down to the cellar for more.  So, one day I decided I’d take several loads up and pile them by my door, so I’d have some close by if the fire burned low at night.  I was carrying up the last of it when I ran into Hortense and Eugenia.  I was really a mess after shoveling all that coal around, and they were laughing at how dirty I was.”  Isabella’s voice changed, mimicking the mocking tone of her stepsisters.  “‘There goes her Ladyship Isabella in her finest attire!’  Hortense said.  Eugenia laughed and replied, ‘Isabella?  She looks more like Cinderella to me!’  They both thought it was a great joke and the nickname stuck.  It wasn’t long before that was all they ever called me.”

            “No wonder you hated it.”  Rita commented softly.  There was a moment of silence as the carriage turned into the palace drive.

            Finally, Godfrey spoke.  “Isabella, I feel responsible for your trouble.  If I had checked into Lady Alicia’s story, you would have been spared much.  I hope that my wife and I and,” Godfrey couldn’t resist a glance at Gregory, “The rest of us can get you re-established again in society.”  He paused before continuing, in a rather choked voice, “Your father was my closest friend.  I will do everything in my power to make up for letting him down as I have.”

            Isabella smiled shyly.  “Right now, I’m content just to be away from...them.”  The carriage pulled up to the palace and stopped as she continued, speaking to Godfrey, “I’ll try to make you...and my father...proud.”

            Godfrey smiled and nodded.  “We’ll get on quite well, I think.”  The footman opened the door, and Godfrey waved a hand in the direction of the palace.  “Shall we see if the Queen and my wife have your apartment ready?”  Isabella said nothing but smiled appreciatively and nodded as Godfrey stepped out of the carriage.

            Prince Gregory followed his uncle out of the carriage then turned to offer Isabella a hand down himself, as she was still carrying the slipper.  However, after she stepped out of the carriage, he continued to hold her hand for a moment.  “Isabella,” he said in a low voice, “It will be quite possible for us to spend some time together now...do you think we stand a chance of being the kind of friends you spoke of last night?”

            Isabella looked up at him, seriously at first but then her face lit up with merriment.  “Right now, I believe anything wonderful could happen!”

            Still, Gregory did not release her hand.  “So, you believe that would be wonderful?”

            This time, Isabella blushed and dropped her eyes.  “I believe it could.” she replied, barely above a whisper.  Then, with a smile up at him, she pulled her hand free and turned to follow Godfrey, who was waiting for her on the steps, into the palace.  Henry had climbed down from his perch and retrieved Isabella’s trunk and carried it in behind them.

            Gregory turned back to the carriage to offer his hand to his sister.  Rita, embroidery folded neatly with the velvet pillow, had heard the whole exchange.  She glanced up at him as she stepped down from the carriage with the pillow and her needlework tucked into the crook of her elbow and grinned broadly at him when he offered her his arm, commenting, “Little sister, you have started no end of trouble for me.”

            “Oh, really?” she queried, taking his arm as they walked toward the door.

            “Yes, really,” Gregory said with mock seriousness.  “But I believe it will be the best kind of trouble...” He looked at her significantly as he continued, “But let’s keep that our secret for now.”

            Rita stopped in her tracks.  “Do you mean...” she began, but Gregory interrupted her.

            “I’m not going to say what I mean...but I believe you know.”  Gregory let that sink in for a moment.  “Now, don’t tell.”

            “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it!”  Rita said very seriously.  She was, however, exulting in her heart as they entered the palace.  Gregory and Isabella!  They were going to ‘live happily ever after!’   She could hardly wait to watch it happen.

The End.