The Forgotten Tale of a former lady named Ella

~Chapter 4: Loose lips & Matchmaking

"It is positively, indescribably, without a single morsel of a doubt that that woman has absolutely gone stark mad!'

"Why is that, Sophie?"

'Well, pardon moi if I don't wish to raise my children to one day hustle an innocent seamstress by claiming that unwashed blue painted donkey fur is really a royally blue dyed sheep's wool like Eloise Berger! Oh and listen to this fabulous tidbit she so wonderfully mentioned to me, while I was in the middle of haggling for a fair price of ribbons mind you, she wants ME to apologize to Louie. ME! She also wants me to return the refund payment. She claims that because Louie is a child he was merely having a laugh and that this 'whole misfortunate misunderstanding' should be just that. A. Mis. Under. STAND. ing! Can you believe the bollocks that woman has?!"

"I suppose so," I muse not fully paying attention to Sophie. After my run in with Adam the other day, my mind has been thoroughly clouded. When I returned to the house after my step-mother threatened to change my sleeping arrangements, I had single handedly mended three stockings together, singed a drape when lighting the evening candles, shatter a tea kettle and belatedly realized that I had served Drizzella Fromage's supper in lieu of her own. I was able to hide and replace the drapes and dispose of the tea kettle, but the stockings were a lost cause (Lady Tremaine would rather die than leave the household bare legged) as were the three spoonfuls Drizella ingested. Needless to say, I have spent the last two nights by the fireplace on the kitchen floor. Although I regret the former mistakes, I cannot honestly admit that I did not regret or rather enjoy the latter one.

Why did Adam return? I thought. Why now of all times?

"So I told Geoffrey if he wanted to be fitted for a new corset he must be patient because I am just swamped with orders..."

Were his eye's always that shade of blue? No, I remember there was always a speck of silver in those globes. Why did I not see silver this time? Do eyes change that drastically over time?

"Then when I came home to find Pascal eating the green dragon sweeties that I set aside for our dessert that night while Suzette was going on and on about her mystical afternoon with three fairies who apparently have taken up residence in our garden..."

He has certainly grown taller last I saw him.

"and to top matters off, my baguette is haunted! Can you believe that Ella?"

Oh goodness, I best respond to Sophie. What in the world was she blabbing on about this time? I will just nod and agree, that usually works with her.

I nod as I say, "Sounds as if you had rotten luck as of late, Soph."

"Ah ha!" Sophie's sudden scream and accusing finger brings me back to earth. "I knew you weren't listening to me!"

I grimace. "Was I truly that obvious?"

"I was speaking of my husband's corset fittings and my children's interactions with mythological creatures, yes it was obvious!"

I sigh. "I am sorry Soph. My mind has been occupied with other thoughts as of late. Wait," I run over Sophie's last proclamation through my mind. "do you truly believe your baguette is haunted?"

"That is simply a theory I have developed about the new and possibly cursed apprentice baker, but that is another mater entirely." Sophie waves her hand in dismissal. "The real issue at hand is determining where this distraction of yours stemmed from."

Sophie freezes in her tracks. She gasps and she grips my arm (with brute force I might add). "Oh Dear God in heaven Ella," she says "You're not with chi-"