The Princess Contract

Chapter Eight

          You've really gone and done it now, Abby. Why couldn't she ever listen? Why hadn't she waited like she was told? There were times when even Abby got annoyed by her impulsive behavior and lack of forward thinking.

          Letting out a frustrated groan, Abby took a step back and did her best assess the situation. One thing was certain -- there was no way she was going to get back inside the same way she had come out. That didn't mean there wasn't another way back in. There was always the option of going around and trying to get back in through the front door. Abby scrapped the idea almost as soon as she thought of it. There was no way she'd get back in that way without being seen.

          Chewing lightly on her lower lip, Abby took stock of her surroundings. Behind her was the sprawling garden that had coaxed her outdoors to begin with. In front of her the manor stretched on for several hundred feet in either direction and there didn't appear to be any other doors leading outside – just rows upon rows of windows.

          That was it. She'd climb back in through an open window and all would be well.

          The problem to her brilliant solution?

          The only open window was located on the second story.

          Of course, there was a tree. There was always a tree. It wasn't exactly near the open window, but it was close enough to the house that Abby was certain she could make it onto the ledge and just scoot the last few feet.

          People did it all the time in movies.

          Deciding it was her best bet, Abby crossed the lawn. It wasn't until she reached the tree and grabbed ahold of its lower branches that she remembered she wasn't exactly dressed for climbing. Removing her shoes, Abby abandoned them to the ground before resuming her attempt to scale the tree. Abby managed to pull herself up onto the lowest branch before she paused to consider her next move. She didn't have many options available to her.

          The branches seemed sturdy enough, though she tested her weight with care before fully trusting it to the next branch. Within minutes she made it high enough to reach the ledge which had not looked so very high up from her earlier vantage point on the ground.

          The window also hadn't seemed so very far away.

          "Come on, Abby, you got this," she murmured. She tried to convince herself that it was too late, she was already committed and there was no turning back now, but a little voice in the back of her mind kept insisting she could easily just climb back down the tree and camp out by the door until someone came looking. While it was a much safer option, Abby wasn't convinced it was the best path to take. Either way this scenario was going to end in disaster, the feeling settled like a bunch of heavy stones in the pit of her stomach.

          Taking a deep breath, Abby made up her mind. She lowered herself down until she straddled the branch. From there slowly scooted herself forward until she could reach out and grab the ledge just a few feet beyond the open window. If she could reach the opening the opening she'd be able to pull herself inside safe and sound with no one being the wiser to her activities. It was the perfect plan so long as it all worked out the way she pictured it in her head.

          As she leaned forward, her fingers curling around the ledge, she felt the branch beneath her begin to bow beneath her weight. The branch itself was thinner the further from the trunk she traveled and all the shifting had caused the wood to bend. Panicking, Abby launched herself forward, landing partially inside the window, but mostly outside, her feet scrambling to find purchase on the smooth stone exterior while her hands checked frantically for a way to get herself inside.