“She’s so unyielding. And it seems she takes pleasure in this,” Cinderella said after all was told. She wiped her eyes with the linen handkerchief Marie passed to her.
“She might. I can imagine she bears grudges against us for the damages and cost we have been to her country,” Marie said, fussing with Cinderella’s hair before gesturing to a servant.
The servant briefly disappeared, returning to the room with tea and cookies.
Cinderella groaned, a sound that worked its way up from deep in her heart. “She’s hateful.”
“She is,” Marie agreed, her tone tempered, but edged just as sharp as Cinderella’s.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Cinderella admitted. “I was hopeful they would accept a partial payment—perhaps half. But based on my interaction today, I don’t think it is a possibility.”
Marie nodded and served the tea.
“I will have to marry Julien. I summarized that much from our last meeting. Marcus is a sweet boy, and I like his parents better than Julien’s, but he’s terribly smitten with Julien’s sister. He deserves a chance at happiness,” Cinderella said.
Marie pressed her lips together.
“What?” Cinderella asked.
“What about Colonel Friedrich?”
“What about him?”
“Is he not an option?”
Cinderella drank her tea. “I don’t think so,” she said.
“Why not? Do you think he isn’t serious in his pursuit of you?”
“It’s not that,” Cinderella said, setting her teacup down. “I…I don’t want to bring him misery.”
“What do you mean?”
“He might l-love me, but what would happen if we were to marry? So far Erlauf has tolerated our friendship, but what penalty will he pay for marrying me? It could cost him his friends, his post, even his career. I can’t ask him to do that.”
“What if he wants to?” Marie asked. “I know everyone whispers he is a rogue, but, Cinderella, surely you must realize he follows you with the loyalty of a dog?”
Cinderella covered her face with her hands. “I know,” she whispered, her voice breaking.
“Do you love him?” Marie asked after several heartbeats of silence.
“I don’t know.”
“But you would prefer him over Julien?”
“Perhaps.”
Marie smiled sadly. “The problem is you are too noble. You should be self-centered, just this once.”
Cinderella groaned as she pressed her fingers to her puffy eyes. “It’s too late in my life to start thinking of such things now,” Cinderella said with a half-smile when she lowered her hands. “I know what I should do.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. I should run away to Loire. I could…join a traveling show or something.”
“I imagine folks would pay to see a noble who feeds pigs, massacres baskets, and runs a market stand,” Marie said.
“I could learn how to ride a trick horse,” Cinderella said.
“Of course.”
“It would be a fine income,” Cinderella insisted.
“Absolutely,” Marie said.
The two girls stared at each other for a moment before erupting into laughter.
“Y-you took years to learn to ride a horse, and now you want to learn trick rides?” Marie laughed.
“Perhaps I could teach a horse to do tricks?” Cinderella said. “Like a dog.”
“That may work better.”
“Or I could make terrible baskets for a living.”
“You know you’re always welcome to live with Armel and me,” Marie said.
Cinderella’s expression softened. “I know, and I thank you. But I am titled and seventeen. I cannot hide from my future forever.”
“I know, but I would be honored to be your safe haven,” Marie said.
“You already are,” Cinderella said.
“Excuse me, Madame,” a maid in a crisp, clean uniform said, bobbing to Marie and Cinderella. “There is a man at the door to see Duchess Lacreux.”
Marie frowned. “What?” she asked as she and Cinderella made their way towards the door.
Out on the front porch, holding the reins of a blood bay horse, was Colonel Friedrich. The Colonel was covered in dust, and the sweeping brim of his hat was cut and squashed. “Sorry, Pet. I would have been here sooner, but I was…indisposed,” he said. He pulled a leather glove off his hand with his teeth. He extended his gloveless hand to Cinderella, gently brushing her cheek bones with his fingers. “I’m filthy, sorry,” he winced.
Cinderella walked into Friedrich, pressing her face into his shoulder.
The collision made dust puff like a cloud, but Friedrich slid his arms around Cinderella after passing off the reins of his horse to Gustav.
Although he cradled Cinderella, Friedrich looked past her to Marie. “Thank you,” he said.
Marie raised an eyebrow. “She was my friend first before she became your heart’s desire. There is no need for you to thank me.”
“All the same, I still thank you,” Friedrich said.
“I am not a dog to be cared for,” Cinderella said into Friedrich’s shoulder.
“Of course you aren’t, Pet. What do you say to a brief ride? We will share my mount,” Friedrich said.