Cinderella and The Shape Shifting Mice

Chapter Twenty Eight

ELLA

The next morning at breakfast there were only 15 girls left from the mere 30 we had yesterday. My heart was pounding during that entire interview and the lie about the last question came out of my mouth before I could stop it but I'm not sure I would have. If I had answered everything they would have known immediately that it was me.
I couldn't look at Georgie at all during the questions so I focused on Sam the whole time who returned the stare with equal passivity. I saw his eyes flicker at a few of my answers, or his mouth twitch down a little, but he never said a word. It took everything I had to look at Georgie when he put that shoe on me, and I had to look away quickly from the intensity of his gaze. He would know and then I would have no time left to come up with a plan to get out of this.

Both Grace and June were gone when I sat down, and the table had shrunk as well so there weren't a bunch of empty seats left between us. I sat in the middle of the table, out of Georgie's eye sight which was curious but I didn't mind. I could bare to look at him anyways. All the girls looked around at each other before he came in, wondering what the girl sitting next to them had that the other didn't. What they had said or done correctly to let them be seated at the table this morning.
I hated it. I wanted to leave.
Not to mention when I got back to my room the mice were gone and I would have to wait to talk to them later and the fact I still didn't know their news was also bugging me. It was the only thing I could think about during breakfast.

Sam came in after we were done eating and told us what we would be doing today and I tried my best to pay attention but I kept zoning in and out. I was the last up from the table and I felt a hand on my arm.
"Ella can we talk?" Georgie asked softly and I shook my head.
"Maybe later, I've gotta go," I mumbled, head still unfocused.
"It's important," he pushed but I pulled my arm away.
"Later, okay? I don't want any more people whispering about me or glaring at me when I walk into a room." I hurried after the girls and found out we'd be doing "Queen duty" stuff all day and I sighed. So much for relaxing.

For the reminder of the day, with breaks in between, Sam gave us lessons and tests and trials which I passed pretty well if I do say so myself. Most of us did, and while some didn't do too well on a few of the lessons, we were all pretty competent at the Queen part. We were given the evening off with dinner served buffet style in a little powder room if we wished, or in our bedrooms where I chose to have mine. They brought me a glorious looking sandwich, fresh fruit, and a very nice sized piece of cake.

I was sitting at the little table in my room reading the Brothers Grimm Fairy tales when my door opened without a knock and Georgie walked in with a tray of food that he set across from me and sat down.
I set my book aside and frowned. "Knock much? What are you doing?"

"Coming to eat with you," he plopped a chip in his mouth and looked at me.

"Why?"

"Because it is later," he answered, eating another chip.

I frowned and shrugged. "I suppose it is. What did you want to talk about?"

"Your interview."

I groaned and went to stand to leave but he rested his hand lightly on top of my arm and slowly I sat back down, but I couldn't make myself look him in the eyes. "Georgie I don't think that's a good idea but I can't really stop you so go ahead."

He looked at me for a brief moment and sighed, eating another chip. "I don't know what to say about it. But can I ask you another question?"

I shrugged but nodded. "Why do you always look so unhappy?"

I looked up at him and reached forward to shove a huge forkful of cake in my mouth. He frowned but as I chewed I tried to come up with an answer that wouldn't necessarily reveal the truth, but wasn't exactly a lie so I settled on, "I'm not sure. Maybe that's just my face. Maybe I have nothing to be happy about."
I sighed and took a drink of water. "George have you noticed how all these girls are so... privileged? I mean they look stunning, they have impeccable backgrounds, and good families. I had a good family and a nice house, but so does any other maid working in a mansion. I'm blessed to be here but don't think you know what's going on behind the scenes of my life."

He looked at me and down at his food and then back at me. "I'm sorry. Truly I am Ella. I wish..." he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I just wished I could make you happy." He took my hand gently and squeezed it and I squeezed back softly.
We finished eating together, avoiding the topic of anything that had to do with my past, his future, and this competition.

"Thank you for eating with me, I'll see you in the morning," he stood, kissed me gently on top of my head, and left the room.

**************

The next day there were seven of us. I could barely bring myself to sit down at my table setting next to Georgie, and the other girls who were already sitting couldn't stop fidgeting. We were all silent.
Georgie came in a few minutes later and I think it was blatantly obvious to him about our somber moods.

"Good morning ladies. I know it's tragic that so few of you are left, but I think you'll enjoy today's activity. Today, you'll be learning how to waltz!" he smiled and got a happy response from most of us but my stomach dropped. "And the fun part is, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you this until today, but you'll get to use your skills tomorrow at the grand finale ball! Sam and the Duke will of course have more details for you."

This was it. He would finally know it was me. There's nothing like dancing for hours with the same person, they just become a part of you. You move together, sway and turn together; there's not much like it. His E would, of course, already know how to waltz. I learned from my father at a young age and I guess it never really left me though I was a little rusty. He carried me through though at the ball, both literally and figuratively until all my knowledge came back and then it was like a subconscious effort to be dancing with him.
I looked around and a lot of the girls looked ecstatic as they began talking about the ball and the dresses and their hair and maybe getting to see their families again. Me? I was dreading every second of it.

"Have you ever danced before?" he asked me, sipping his tea.
"Not often but I might know the basics. A friend taught me a while ago," I told him, and was proud of the convincing lie.
He nodded and Sam came in with a cart of seven boxes of shoes in all the same size, and we got ready to waltz.