Glass

Part Seven

As soon as the candles in the three rooms flickered out late that night, Ella tore off her apron and dashed into the parlor. Falling to her knees beside her little box of belongings, she whipped off the lid and withdrew her silver dress, which Kam had asked her to wear to their meeting. After shutting the parlor door, Ella slipped back into the soft gown and added the beautiful earrings. She cast a sad look at the single glass shoe nestled in the corner and slid on her worn, scratched pumps.

Once she was ready, Ella shut the little box once more and sneaked out into the corridor. She expected at any moment to encounter Missus Lawrence, who stayed after dark frequently to affirm that everything was in order for the night. However, she failed to catch so much of a glimpse of the older lady. Ella gnawed her lip anxiously as she carefully made her way through the kitchen.

All her nervousness, however, vanished when she arrived at the stables to find Kam napping on a pile of hay, little pieces of the bright yellow straws stuck in his light brown curls. Casually, Ella sidled up to him and, pulling a piece from his head, stuck it in his open mouth.

Coughing and spluttering, Kam fell off the bale with a thump and glared at her sleepily. "What the-Ellie!" His face reddened and he scrambled to his feet. "You look beautiful! I mean, you always look pretty, but-I mean-" He rolled his eyes in exasperation at her laughter. "Let's just go."

Kam took her by the hand and together they walked out of the stables. Ella took the time to look him over and was surprised-and impressed-to see his curly hair nicely combed and his clothing (mostly) devoid of dirt and hay. He caught her looking and she glanced away before she could see his expression. She spread her arms and gazed at the sky. "Everything is so peaceful," she said. "It's a nice change after the noisy ball."

For some reason this made Kam look a little nervous. "Did you not like the ball?"

"Oh, the ball was lovely," Ella said quickly. "It just got...overwhelming...very quickly." She smiled up at the sky. "Besides, right there in the heart of the city, there's so much light from candles and chandeliers that it's hard to see the stars."

Kam smiled. "Well, that won't be a problem for us."

Ella smiled back before his words sank in, chasing it away from sheer surprise. "What do you mean?"

Kam only smiled and tugged her hand, urging her to go faster.

They walked through the farmyard and toward the forest. The closer they got to the treeline, the more distinctly Ella could hear the strains of...music? She shot Kam so many questioning looks she lost count of them, and Kam brushed them off with just as many mischievous smiles.

The whole while, the sounds of a violin and happy laughter continued to crescendo.

What on earth...?

Just as Ella thought she might die of the suspense of it, Kam announced, "Welcome to your ball, milady."

He led her into a grove of trees and into a laughing throng of servants and stable boys, gardeners and kitchen girls-no wonder the house had felt so empty! A few candles were perched along the edges, and old Vincent had broken out his fiddle and was playing a folk tune Ella did know how to dance to. She looked up at Kam, dumbfounded and paralyzed with confusion, waiting for him to explain.

Kam blushed under her gaze and dropped his own to the ground. "Remember that day by the chicken coop? You told me you wanted to go to the ball. I knew that the stepfamily wouldn't let you go."

He'd been right about that. The thought sent a thrill up her spine. She'd finally done something against her stepmother's wishes! She couldn't believe she'd been crazy enough to go unaccompanied to the ball on a stallion-but for the first time since she could remember, she felt proud of herself. Like she had done something worth doing.