Cinderella: After the Ball
Elaine was roused from her sleep to help her stepsisters undress when they arrived home. Lady Honoria went quickly to her bed, but the girls were far too excited to sleep. So they kept Elaine busy helping them brush the powder from their hair, a captive audience, while they tried to outdo each other with tales of their first royal function and the ones they knew they would attend in the future.
“I must have danced every dance” Beatrice exclaimed as she kicked off her shoes. My feet hurt so much. Elaine, go fetch me some ointment.”
“Wait!” Abigail shouted. “First help me out of this corset. I’m so breathless from dancing I may faint.”
“Fine, you cold-hearted fish. Be insensitive to my pain.” Beatrice pouted.
“Bird-brain.” Abigail countered. then both girls burst into silly, giddy laughter.
Oh, Elaine. You would not believe some of the costumes people were wearing. Most of them were beautiful, but some of them were…
“Mine was the prettiest.” Beatrice interrupted.
“Yeah, right. There were dozens of birds that were just as pretty as you, but I was the only mermaid.”
“That doesn’t mean you were prettier, just weirder.”
“You’re just jealous.”
“You always say that when you can’t think of anything clever.”
“ANYWAY” Abigail paused to cross her eyes at Beatrice. “As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, some of the costumes were obscene!. Did you see the flimsy thing Josephine was wearing? I think she was trying to be Helen of Troy, but she looked ridiculous.”
“Her brother, Lord Philippe looked okay in his armor.” Beatrice blushed
“Sure if you don’t mind dancing with a man in a skirt.” Seeing her sister’s expression, Abigail relented and changed targets to someone they could both despise. “And what about Carlton Mallowfield’s get up? Did you ever see anything so ludicrous?”
“No mask could disguise his foul behavior. I’m just relieved that mother didn’t insist we dance more than once with him.”
“Oh, but didn’t the prince look dashing?”
“Yes indeed. When he took my hand for the dance, I thought I should swoon from the honor.”
“And when he danced with me he was as strong and graceful as a panther should be.”
Elaine gasped.
When both girls looked at her, she asked “The prince was dressed as a panther?”
“Yes, Miss Nosey, Prince Frederick wore a panther costume, and he danced with both of us and he was very handsome and he liked me better than any other lady there.”
“Except for me.” Beatrice asserted “...and that butterfly girl. He danced with her a lot.”
“Only at the beginning. He didn’t dance with her at all after the unmasking. Maybe she was too ugly to look at." Abigail giggled.
“What’s the matter Elaine? You keep stopping.”
“Your hair is finished. May I be excused?”
“Oh, very well, go on to bed. Dream your dull little dreams.”
“Maybe the butterfly was his little sister and had to go to bed. I didn’t see her at all after midnight.”
"No. Princess Melanie was a ..."
Elaine’s mind was reeling as the door closed on her stepsisters’ conversation.
“I must have danced every dance” Beatrice exclaimed as she kicked off her shoes. My feet hurt so much. Elaine, go fetch me some ointment.”
“Wait!” Abigail shouted. “First help me out of this corset. I’m so breathless from dancing I may faint.”
“Fine, you cold-hearted fish. Be insensitive to my pain.” Beatrice pouted.
“Bird-brain.” Abigail countered. then both girls burst into silly, giddy laughter.
Oh, Elaine. You would not believe some of the costumes people were wearing. Most of them were beautiful, but some of them were…
“Mine was the prettiest.” Beatrice interrupted.
“Yeah, right. There were dozens of birds that were just as pretty as you, but I was the only mermaid.”
“That doesn’t mean you were prettier, just weirder.”
“You’re just jealous.”
“You always say that when you can’t think of anything clever.”
“ANYWAY” Abigail paused to cross her eyes at Beatrice. “As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, some of the costumes were obscene!. Did you see the flimsy thing Josephine was wearing? I think she was trying to be Helen of Troy, but she looked ridiculous.”
“Her brother, Lord Philippe looked okay in his armor.” Beatrice blushed
“Sure if you don’t mind dancing with a man in a skirt.” Seeing her sister’s expression, Abigail relented and changed targets to someone they could both despise. “And what about Carlton Mallowfield’s get up? Did you ever see anything so ludicrous?”
“No mask could disguise his foul behavior. I’m just relieved that mother didn’t insist we dance more than once with him.”
“Oh, but didn’t the prince look dashing?”
“Yes indeed. When he took my hand for the dance, I thought I should swoon from the honor.”
“And when he danced with me he was as strong and graceful as a panther should be.”
Elaine gasped.
When both girls looked at her, she asked “The prince was dressed as a panther?”
“Yes, Miss Nosey, Prince Frederick wore a panther costume, and he danced with both of us and he was very handsome and he liked me better than any other lady there.”
“Except for me.” Beatrice asserted “...and that butterfly girl. He danced with her a lot.”
“Only at the beginning. He didn’t dance with her at all after the unmasking. Maybe she was too ugly to look at." Abigail giggled.
“What’s the matter Elaine? You keep stopping.”
“Your hair is finished. May I be excused?”
“Oh, very well, go on to bed. Dream your dull little dreams.”
“Maybe the butterfly was his little sister and had to go to bed. I didn’t see her at all after midnight.”
"No. Princess Melanie was a ..."
Elaine’s mind was reeling as the door closed on her stepsisters’ conversation.