Dancing on Glass

Vanishing Acts

"She's on her way!" Cinderella shouted as she raced up the steps of the manor, the doors flying open for her. "She's coming back! She knows I'm The Duchess and wants to catch me!"

There wasn't even a seconds delay before Mrs Sorin dragged her out of the main house and down towards the kitchens, the others following, Edgar staying to watching for the carriage.

Cinderella set her remaining shoe on the table and spun to the ladies who stripped her of her gown in less than a minute, dragging off the underskirts, unpinning the mask and releasing the hair.

Her makeup was wiped away. Her hair was tied back. Her rags were yanked on over her head and her worn out shoes were slipped onto her feet.

A call bell rang.

Everyone froze and looked towards the front entrance bell at hung on the wall.

It started ringing more urgently.

Edgar was signalling that he could see Lady Constantia's carriage.

Cinderella's eyes widened in horror.

"Hide. You have to hide!" she cried as the others bundled everything into their arms.

"Where?" Vanessa asked, her voice too calm for the situation.

Cinderella looked around, panicked, looking at Dia for help and they came up with the same thought at the same moment.

"Down here," Cinderella said quickly as Dia rushed to the side door and pulled it open, heaving up the trap door that led down to the tunnel. "There is an exit but it is locked. Don't worry though, she won't go down there. I'll come collect you when they've all gone to sleep. Quickly, quickly."

The ladies sped down and only Vanessa paused, looking down at the chain that lay down there.

"How morbid," she muttered.

"It stops The Young Miss escaping when company visits," Dia said quickly.

"Dia," Cinderella hissed.

Vanessa looked up at them for a moment, then her eyes narrowed. But she said nothing and turned away, following her companions into the dark and Cinderella slammed the trapdoor closed, Dia locking it, almost slipping the keys in her apron before changing tact and dropping them in an empty vase on the counter.

They ran back out into the kitchen, Dia locking the door behind them and Cinderella froze in horror.

The glass slipper still sat on the table!

Panic almost made her dizzy but also made her move, grabbing the beautiful shoe and all but throwing it into the fire place, burying it in ashes while Dia started getting tea ready and they heard the unmistakable sounds of the front doors being thrown open.

Minutes later, Lady Constantia threw the kitchen door open and Cinderella almost dropped the tea pot.

"We'll have tea ready in just a moment," she said, quickly handing the pot to Dia. "We weren't expecting you back so early."

Lady Constantia just eyed her then slowly slid her razor sharp eyes around the kitchen.

Gracefully, she lifted her skirts aside and stepped down into the kitchen, walking around, looking, just looking, at everything.

Cinderella's heart pounded so hard someone standing next to her might have heard it. She and Dia watched as Lady Constantia prowled around the room, opening cupboards, peering behind the dresser, upending the baskets.