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Chapter Twenty-Four
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A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Twenty-Five
It felt like everyone in the garden was whispering as I stepped out.This time, I was ready for the bright sunshine. I was ready for the beautiful trees and the careful lawns. I was ready for the photographer to flash a light at me.“There you are,” Freddie said, crossing the lawn to greet me. “Why did you disappear back inside?”“I needed a sweater,” I replied lamely.He frowned. “But it's so warm. Are you not feeling well? We can leave if you need.”I sighed. “Apparently, I'm not supposed to have bare shoulders.”Freddie's eyes went wide and his cheeks went red. It made the red in his hair stand out even more than usual.“I'm so sorry, Zoey,” he said softly. “I didn't even think... I didn't realize...The Duke had said to let you dress yourself...”I waved him off. “It's done,” I told him. “Now I know. And Mr. Irson is giving me a copy of the rules so I don't do it again.”Freddie sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I am sorry. It's my fault.”I shrugged. “It's okay. It's not th
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Twenty-Six
“Well, that went better than expected,” Freddie said, wiping some dirt off his hands.His beautiful gray slacks were brown at the knees and a smudge of dirt lay swiped across the bridge of his nose.I raised an eyebrow at him. “Seriously?”He leaned over and wiped some dirt off my cheek. “We made it, didn't we?”He motioned to the forest just past the small meadow we were currently walking through. I dusted my hands together, trying to get the mud off. I'd managed to keep most of the dirt from my dress, but I wasn't much cleaner than Freddie.Behind us, trapped in the cultivated gardens of the castle, music still played. A tug of guilt found my middle, but I pushed it away. I didn't want to be at the party. I didn't want everyone looking at me and whispering.I wanted to be out here.Instead of a proper moat, the castle had carefully manicured lawns. Freddie and I had crossed those easily. The neat grass was held close to the castle by a waist-high rock wall. We'd scrambled over it, g
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Twenty-Seven
“How do I look?” I asked Mr. Irson. “Better this time?”I wore the slacks and button-up silk blouse just like Sophie instructed. My hair was loose around my shoulders, but neatly curled. My makeup was light and sensible.Just like the fifty-page rule book said to be.Mr. Irson's eyes went up and down, evaluating every fiber of my clothing. I tried not to wiggle or fidget.“Perfect,” he said after a moment. “Just the shoes. You really don't have heels?”I crossed my arms. “No. No heels. I can't walk in them and I guarantee it would be a worse disaster than if I wore a bikini out on the tour.”Mr Irson's eyes went wide and he looked utterly horrified by the idea that I would even propose such a thing. “Then, the flats will do.”I grinned, feeling pleased. I was going to get this. I was going to follow all the rules the palace asked and I was going to do it well.“Thank you for helping me,” I told him. “I know it's not really your job, but I really do appreciate it.”“My job is to keep
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Twenty-Eight
Shopping with Sophie was an experience unto itself.She was a force to be reckoned with. Sophie made shopping into an Olympic qualifying sport. We visited three stores, tried on over thirty dresses, twenty different kinds of slacks, thirty-seven skirts, and more types of shirts than I could keep track of.“With your hair and skin, you should wear pastels,” she advised, holding up a pink gown that shimmered in the light. “Some darker colors will work, but I think we need to stick with the lighter things. They will also give you an air of innocence.”“Are you saying I'm not innocent?” I asked her, putting back a deep burgundy sweater.She grinned at me. “Not in a million years. You're dating Freddie.”“He's not that much of a bad boy,” I replied. I held up a blue shirt.“Too low cut,” she said, shaking her head at the shirt. “And I know Freddie isn't all bad. He's just got the reputation.”“So why do I have to dress innocent?” I asked. I held up a long sleeve pale green shirt that Sophi
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Are you sure this is okay?” I asked, feeling incredible guilt that I was going to spend so much of Freddie's money. The simple scarf in my hands was priced more than I had ever paid for an entire outfit.Sophie frowned. “There are higher end shops,” she said slowly. “I suppose we can find things there, but I really do like the color palette we found here.”“Higher end?” I squeaked out.She looked at me confused. “That's what is the matter, right? That these may not be nice enough?”I stared at her. “No, no. That this is too nice. This is so much money for... clothes. And just clothes.”“Clothes are what people base their opinions on,” Sophie replied. “And this is nothing. Remember, Freddie is a prince.”I looked at the pile of clothes. I didn't even want to know what they were going to cost.“I already have permission and this isn't even going to put a dent in the limit,” Sophie told me. “We could buy twice this and still have funds left over.”I stared at her.“Go wait outside if i
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Thirty
“... and did you see what the American was wearing?”I cringed as a photo of me popped up on the TV screen. It was from the garden party. My shoulders were bare and I wore the stupidest smile.“We here at “Royalty Watch” can not believe that the Queen Mother finds this appropriate. It is an affront to Paradisian values,” the commentator continued. “Add in her lewd behavior toward the prince, and I'm not sure that this American is going to be welcome in the royal household. Kissing before a Stair Walk? The scandal!”The screen flashed to a video of me kissing Freddie's cheek and holding the door open.I stuck out my tongue at the TV. “It wasn't lewd,” I said.“Lewd would have at least included tongue,” Freddie agreed, settling into the couch next to me. He put his arm over my shoulder and handed me a bowl of popcorn. “Want to get lewd now?”I looked over at him and grinned. We sat in a comfortable sitting room with a huge TV. In any other house, I would have called it a living room, bu
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Thirty-One
“You did well today,” Sophie said, picking up her purse and carefully tucking it over her shoulder. “Well, other than the whole walking in high-heels part.”“I did warn you,” I replied. I sat demurely on a high-backed chair in my room. I was waiting for her to leave so that I could slouch and flop into bed. I was exhausted.Princess training was hard work.“I thought you were kidding,” Sophie said. She shook her head. “Well, it's something for us to work on tomorrow.”“But tomorrow we're going to the hospital.” A small ripple of fear went through me. I wasn't ready for our hospital visit, but Sophie and Liam both wanted it done as soon as possible. They wanted the good stories about me coming out instead of just more pictures of my scandalously bare shoulders.“Yes. We're going to practice in the morning before we leave,” Sophie replied. She looked over at me. “Don't worry. You'll be wearing flats to the hospital. I want this to go well, remember?”I wanted to stick my tongue out at
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Thirty-Two
“It's too bad no one needed CPR,” Sophie lamented as we walked down a corridor of the hospital. She wore a pristine cream dress with matching heels. I wore a light blue pant suit that made me think of super fancy scrubs. I was fairly sure that had been Sophie's intent when dressing me this morning.“Right... too bad,” I agreed, sarcasm dripping off my voice.“Oh, I didn't mean...” Sophie went a pretty pink. She even blushed prettily. “I meant, it would have been some great press to have you save someone's life.”I smiled and nodded politely. I knew she meant well, but it just showed me the disconnect between our worlds. I would never wish for someone to have an injury, especially one requiring CPR, just so I could get a good photo.It probably made me a terrible celebrity, but a good person.Overall, the day was going well. I had followed all of the rules the royal family sent out and I had even gone above and beyond what they expected. Everyone was happy with me. I was happy with m
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A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Fifty-One
Two months later, Early December“I'd carry you across the doorway, but I don't think that's a good idea,” Freddie said as he hobbled up to the doorway of the castle. His crutches crunched slightly on the white crushed gravel.“That's only when you get married,” I told him. “So you have time.”I winked at him. He grinned at me.We'd already spent two weeks at his mother's castle. Freddie was slowly on the mend, but doing well. It would be weeks yet before he no longer needed the crutches. Femur fractures take a long time to heal.I wasn't in a rush though. He was officially on vacation.And we were going to enjoy it at his castle.Freddie's castle was stunning. It was bigger than his mother's, but more modern. Freddie's castle was only built in 1831, making it one of the newer castles of the country. The Romantic architecture made me think of Pride and Prejudice. I could easily imagine Mr. Darcy striding across the perfectly kept hedges.Inside, the massive hallway was breathtaking. W
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Fifty
“Is the Queen Mother not in residence today?” the Duke asked Mr. Irson as he walked through the hallways. “I don't see her standard hanging outside.”“The Queen Mother is visiting her son, the King, in Westshire,” Mr. Irson replied smoothly. “Would you like me to tell her you asked after her?”“No, no please,” the Duke replied. He smiled his lizard-like smile. “This is supposed to be a secret meeting.”“Of course, Your Grace.” Mr. Irson dipped his head politely. “I am the model of discretion.”Mr. Irson led the Duke through the empty stone hallways to the sitting room attached to Freddie's bedroom. He knocked smartly three times and then opened the door.Freddie sat on a comfortable couch with his injured leg elevated. The cast was hidden by oversized pants. A comfortable chair sat opposite of him with a small table between them. A black expensive looking box sat on the table. The TV on the far wall was dark, but soft classical music played. Freddie turned off the music as the Duke e
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Forty-Nine
My brain went fuzzy.Thoughts and images flitted around my skull like caffeinated hummingbirds, never settling down long enough for me to see them clearly.Freddie was coming to see me. Freddie still loved me. Freddie was buying the cabin. Freddie was in the hospital.The car turned off the highway. Sophie sat quiet, letting me process everything.“How bad is it?” I asked once I was in control of myself again. I forced my brain to go into nursing mode. Forced it to turn scientific and clinical. “What are his injuries?”She hesitated.“Tell me,” I urged. “Or I'm just going to imagine the worst.”“He shattered his femur and his right arm. Three skull fractures, two broken ribs, and a punctured lung.”Once again my breath caught. I thought for a moment I might die, but then my heart started again.“They've stabilized him. They don't think there's any damage to his brain and they said his lung will be okay,” she quickly assured me. “They already performed some surgery. He asked for you th
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Forty-Eight
“Thanks. I'll send you my resume,” I said into the phone.I sighed as I ended the call. The job in Madison was decent. There was nothing wrong with it. The pay was good, the benefits fair, and I had a friend in Madison that would be happy to rent me a room.I sat down on the guest bed and pouted.It just wasn't what I wanted.I wanted Freddie. I wanted normal.But those two things didn't go together.“Zoey.”I turned at the sound of my name to see Cecelia standing in the doorway to the guest room. Soft morning light filtered around her. Her face was drawn and pale.“What's the matter?” I asked, rising quickly. Something in the pit of my stomach went cold. I'd seen that face on Cecelia before. It was when she'd told me that our Grandmother had died.“You have to come in here.” She swallowed hard and glanced toward the living room. “There's something on the TV you need to see.”Fear whirled dark in my stomach as I walked through the short hallway.The big TV was on a news station. The
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Forty-Seven
I checked my phone. No messages. No missed calls.Nothing for two days from Freddie.Several from Sophie, but nothing that made me rethink my decision to leave.“You okay?” Cecelia asked from the kitchen. I tucked my phone back into my pocket and tried to smile at her as I walked into the living room. The smells of spaghetti filled the air. “Have a seat. Watch some TV. Dinner won't be ready for another twenty minutes or so.”I sat down on the comfy leather couch and pulled a quilt over my lap. It was such a different couch experience than what was in Paradisa. I couldn't imagine a worn quilt made by the Queen Mother on a worn leather sofa with soft throw pillows. This couch was made for comfort and family, not for looking pretty.I turned on the TV.And saw Freddie.“In world news, Paradisa and Navia have signed a historic trade agreement. Paradisa, known for their lithium deposits and Navia, known for new technology signed the agreement this morning. The two countries have had a cont
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Forty-Six
My hand trembled and I pulled back.My whole body shook and I thought I might be sick.“Just talk to him,” I whispered to the empty hallway. “He loves you. It'll be fine.”I counted to ten and forced my hand to move. I knocked. It was clear and loud and I glanced around the hallway, sure that heads were about to pop out of every room and yell at me.No doors opened.Silence hung in the hallway. The pale light of the coming dawn flickered like a ghost in the windows as I waited. I thought of running away. I thought of just going back to my room and hiding under the covers until I had courage again.But it had to be now. I would be on a plane in an hour.Unless Freddie stopped me.If he said I should stay, I would cancel my flight. I would stay here with him and deal with the consequences of the Stair Walk. I would do it for him.My heartbeat thundered in my chest, too fast and completely unsteady. I should probably see a doctor about that, I thought. Or have a little less caffeine.A p
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Forty-Five
I pulled up his name in my messages and froze. I had no idea what to say.There was a knock on my door that made me look up. It wasn't Mr. Irson's gentle three beat knock.Freddie?My heart sped up, fueled by hope.Maybe there was a chance I didn't need to send this message.“Come in,” I called, throwing off the blankets.The door opened.But it wasn't Freddie.It was Sophie and the Duke.“What are you wearing?” Sophie asked, looking completely shocked.I stood in the center of my bedroom, and looked down at my pajamas and bare feet. Everything was covered. She'd picked these pajamas out for me. They were long pants and long-sleeved dark satin and covered everything appropriately. I was suddenly glad I hadn't worn the tiny cotton shorts and tank top I often did.Sophie made an exasperated sigh and stalked over to the bathroom. She handed me a white cotton robe. “Please cover up. Try to be appropriate.”I slid the robe over my shoulders.“Honestly, I know we went over this,” Sophie con
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Forty-Four
I'm not sure how I made it back to my room.I just know that I stumbled through the hallways, tears streaming down my face as I forced my aching muscles to move. No halls were empty as I walked along with cold bare feet.I opened the door to my room, expecting to find it dark and empty. Instead, a warm light shone by the bed. Mr. Irson was pulling the drapes of my room shut and humming as he prepared the room.“My apologies, Ms. Miller. I wasn't expecting you to return so early tonight,” he said, tugging the drapes tight. He turned with a smile on his face that quickly faded the moment he saw me. “Oh my. Are you alright?”He rushed to me, his eyes full of concern. He touched my shoulders gently, moving down my arms and checking for injuries with kind hands.“Is anything broken? Do you need a doctor?” he asked. Worry filled his voice and wrapped me like a warm blanket. I wanted to sob into him.“I fell,” I stated. “And I nearly killed the Queen Mother in the process.”He stared at me f
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Forty-Three
We sat in yet another sitting room somewhere deep inside the castle. This one looked like it had been stolen from the Downton Abbey set, complete with turn of the century furniture and oil portraits. I fully expected Dame Maggie Smith to walk in wearing full costume and yell at me for trying to kill the Queen Mother.I figured I probably had a slight concussion from hitting the marble floor with my head.The Queen Mother sat on the center sofa. The on-call doctor was speaking softly with her. So far, they hadn't found any injuries. She seemed to be alert and oriented. She answered questions and moved without restriction. The doctor didn't look worried.Liam sat beside his mother holding her hand. Aria sat on her opposite side with Henry on the couch across from them. Freddie stood by the window, his arms crossed. Sophie stood near him, her expression unreadable.I sat in a high backed chair in the far corner of the room. It was as far away as I could get from everyone without leaving.
