Ash and Cinders

Chapter 2: Bankrupcy: Now Available In Cashmere

"I'm sorry. WHAT?" I heard my Stepmother scream in horror upon the news our family banker gave her as I listened in by the door.

"Ms. Lewis, there simply is no money left." our banker, Mr Grantleigh gave over the information over to my stepmother...again.

"Oh my gosh." I heard one of the girls hyperventilating in the corner. I was sure their faces were red with shame right now.

"Your reckless spending has caught up with you, and it's about high time you do something about it." I heard Mr Grantleigh's voice again, and a snap as he closed his briefcase. The sound shocking even me out of my reverie.

As I ran back to my room, I couldn't hide the smile of satisfaction that spread on my face.

Rebecca's big-spending days were done.

I secretly hated the resentment in my heart towards her and my stepsisters. My parents didn't bring me up as this person. But, as the years went by the light in my eyes I had as a child disappeared and was replaced by something hard and unforgivable.

"Anna!" I heard someone shout my name from downstairs. My heart racing I made my way down. "Anna! Get your lazy butt down here before I drag you down!"

"Coming stepmother!" I shouted as I willed my shaking legs to go faster down the stairs.

When I finally came down, I saw Rebecca sitting on the couch looking as cool and collected as always, the only sign that she just received bad news the angry look in her eyes. And of course, Julia and Lillian standing sniffing in the corner.

The sounds annoyed me, enough to send a glare in their direction.

"Yes, Stepmother?" I asked, my voice calmer than I thought it would be at this point.

Without answering me, my stepmother snapped at the twins, telling them to be silent, her pink cashmere sweater a stark offset to her face that was still faintly red from the outrage. Their faces contorted as if they were going to break out in complete sobs, but they did it in silence at least.

"Get the food ready."

***

Christopher Jensen was never the type to just take things in stride. In fact, when his butler, Percy dropped the newspaper down on the table while he was having his breakfast and he saw the headline he almost choked on the piece of chicken sausage he was chewing.

"The Prince of the Science Industry Welcomes All To Charity Ball"

"Is something wrong, Master Christopher?" Percy enquired of him, handing him a glass of water.

"I'm only wondering what the board thought when they released this information." Christopher said after the chicken sausage had successfully stopped sticking into the side of his throat.

Percy looked at the newspaper, his forehead creasing into a frown.

"Well, maybe it's a good idea, sir. You'll be welcoming people from all walks of life to an event for the less fortunate. It certainly says a lot about your integrity, now doesn't it? Your father would be proud."

"Well, Percy. I really do hope they know what they're doing. After all, this is a formal event." He stated, placing the newspaper down beside him again.

"I'm sure they do, sir." Percy stated, taking his empty plate and taking it to the kitchen.

This was the start of a very important day for Christopher. This was the day he would launch his Kenneth Jensen Parkinsons Fund. It was his only way to honour his father after his death last year. He had suffered beautifully, until he died.

To see a man that was always so strong, so weak broke Christopher.

But this was the oppurtunity to make that sacrifice worth something, to help others in the same position as Kenneth Jensen, and maybe, just maybe finally making his father's last wish a reality.

"Find someone, Christopher, to fill your days and nights with. Someone who will love you as much as your mother and I did, and who will stand by your side. It's been long enough that you've been alone. You are the heir to a powerful company, and you have to hand that down to your own children."

Christopher was a twenty-six year old bachelor who for the longest time didn't see point in marriage, going through most of his life thinking that a woman would only bring him down and try to control him, but his father's words woke something up inside him. Something that he feared wouldn't settle until he knew his future was secure, that his father's legacy was secure.

And what better oppurtunity to do that than a Charity Ball that every capable woman from across London would be attending?

He just hoped that she was there somewhere, hiding behind a glass of champagne.

His father was always a romantic, having met Christopher's mother as a young college student, and finding a love story for the ages. When they had Christopher, they never ceased to set an example of what a marriage was really supposed to be like. And he couldn't imagine finding anything less.

So, that afternoon he had left the office with a faint sense of hope in his heart, heading downtown to his favourite cafe for a spot of tea before heading back to finish up his last bit of paperwork.

Upon entering the Cafe Dahlia, he headed for his usual seat only to be met head first with a tray of coffee spilling onto his suit.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry! Oh gosh. Please stand right there, sir. Let me just fetch something to help clean that up." a woman's frantic voice said beside me, making me glance up at her and what I saw made me freeze on the spot, watching as she jogged to the kitchen.

A minute later she came back, and it was only for a moment that Christopher thought maybe he was hallucinating, because a woman so beautiful just wasn't possible.

"I'm so sorry once again, sir. I wasn't looking where I was going. Please, sit. Have a drink on the house as an apology." Her voice was enchanting to listen to.

"Oh, that's quite alright." I smiled, sitting down in my usual booth. "Just bring me a breakfast tea to go."

She nodded, a wisp of her blonde hair falling from it's messy bun on the top of her head. I couldn't breathe properly as she walked away, her dark blue eyes etching itself into my very being.

I was so frazzled that when she brought me my drink and I left, I realized only halfway to the office, I didn't even know her name.