Cinderella: A Retelling of an Old Classic

Another Acquaintance - Chapter 14

Trudging though the woods with a large bucket in her hand Adela was again fulfilling another or her stepmother's whims. She had learned that one of her darling daughters was craving a wild mushroom pie and nothing either Rebecca or she said would deter her from the idea. The fact that the season for wild mushrooms was not for another 2 or 3 months also made no difference to her.

Adela sighed. She had no idea where could find those mushrooms. Generally they grew in moist warm places but this year it had been cold and rainy, generally not a conducive environment for the little fungi to grow. Setting the bucket in a patch of weeds she stretched her arms as if to touch the sky, trying her best to work out the many knots in her back from bending over washtubs, kitchen counters, stretching she heard the unmistakable sound of a horse being ridden through the underbrush. It seemed as though it was coming in her general direction so she stood off to the side hoping to stay out of its way.

Her bucket forgotten she watched as a large bay horse came crashing into the little glen. It whinnied as his rider pulled his bridle a bit more harshly then necessary. Coming to a stop Adela was surprised to see the young man from the carriage dismount and stomp unceremoniously to a certain protruding rock where he proceeded to seat himself. For a reason that Ella didn't exactly understand herself she stayed off the path watching the young man.

He seemed in some distress as, periodically, he would let out a harsh sigh and kick at the grass around him. Suddenly he stood up and began pacing back and forth. His horse knickered softly and began tearing at the grass around the shrubbery but the young man paid no attention. His pacing became more and more erratic until, without any warning, his foot came into contact with a certain shiny bucket left on the forest floor.

"To hell with everything!" he sputtered and began kicking the bucket in abandon.

"Now see here!" Adela came out of the bushes and crossed over to the young man. "Would you kindly refrain from denting that poor innocent bucket any more then you already have?"

The man looked stunned for a moment before bowing slightly with an embarrassed look on his face. "You'll forgive me miss, I wasn't quite myself."

"Yes, yes," Adela murmured distractedly. She bent down and used the corner of her dress to wipe at the now filthy little bucket. "She will murder me for this....oh, what to do now?"

The young gentlemen looked at her in surprise and upon hearing the whispered words he bent down to help her.
"Is there anything I could do to help miss?"

She looked up and him and he was surprised to recognize the young lady as Adela, the one who had him apologize to a little tyke of three for nearly ending his life.
Looking extremely uncomfortable he assisted her in standing up with her bucket still cradled in her arms.

Adela looked up at him and asked him the one question that left him speechless. "What have made you do out of sorts?"
He stared at her and then smiled. "What makes you think I am not myself?"

Adela looked pointedly at her once shiny smooth bucket and then back at her with a slight smile of her own.

"Oh," he looked down in embarrassment. "I had hoped you hadn't seen that but to answer your question it is nothing of significance."

"My bucket shows otherwise. If I were to use this tin implement as evidence of your current state I would infer that you were extremely out of sorts about something. Of course, that would only be my point of view."

"Of course," he replied. "I cannot in good conscience say that your supposition is unfounded."

"Well then?" Adela looked him square in the face seemingly interested in his reply.