Chapter Five
"No. No." Mable stood so fast she almost knocked the chair over. "No way. I know what you are trying to say and you are wrong. I am not going to break the curse, you hear me?" her voice rose shrilly. "I'm sorry for what happened, I am, but I was not sent here by fate, or some stupid fairy godmother. I have not come to find my one true love. I just need a place to stay until the snowstorm blows over, then I need to get home, to my family. I'm not who you're looking for, really. You made a mistake"
Monsieur Lune stood and grabbed her hands. "No, do not apologize, Lady Mable. You can stay here for as long as the storm continues. We will not force you to do anything, to feel anything as long as you are here. I am sorry that I distressed you. I assure you, you will not be forced by any means while you are in this castle." Monsieur Lune's eyes flashed in determination. "You must understand, you are the first guest we have had, male or female, since the spell was cast." He tugged her down with him as he sat. "I had meant to ease you into it more, spend some time getting to know you before laying this all at your feet." He said ruefully.
Mable was still shaking. She had seen the look in Master Theo's eyes when he first saw her. He didn't want her here; he clearly thought her showing up was some sort of mistake. Well, that was good, because she sure as hell didn't want to stay here!
"How do I know this is even real?" she demanded. "How do I know this isn't some—some elaborate scam or scheme to kidnap me and take all of my family's money?" It sounded dumb as she said it. Real kidnappers would know that while Colette made decent money as a lawyer and Mable's brother-in-law did reasonably well as an electrician, their family didn't have of money to just throw around.
"Now, Lady Mable, why would you say such a thing?" Monsieur Lune rebuked. "We would never do something so horrible. No, you arriving here was quite a surprise, and we would never hold you against your will. You're free to leave whenever you want."
Well, they were surprised when she showed up. And the snow could hardly be their fault. Unconsciously, she started to nibble at her fingernails. This whole experience was moving from weird to surreal, and not in a good way.
The worst part was that she wanted to believe him. She had always been the one who loved reading fairy tales. She wasn't cool-headed like her sister Colette, or in love with routines like Jeanne. She wanted to be whisked away into a fantasy land, where paupers became heroes, magic created obstacles and finding true love was always a solution. As a young girl she dreamed of the day when a handsome prince would come and sweep her off her feet. It had taken a lot longer than she cared to admit for her to realize that real life just didn't work that way.
This tale was so preposterous, so absurd; and preposterous, absurd things just didn't happen to Mable.
While she sat there, Monsieur Lune got up and went over to the sideboard. Mable heard glass clink as he rummaged in the cabinet and pulled out a small bottle filled with a light brown liquid. He poured two fingers worth in a glass and handed it to her.
"Drink." He advised.
Mable took the glass and downed it. The alcohol burned her throat and cleared out her sinuses, but she felt a little more normal.
"I thought you said you didn't have whiskey." She croaked. The fire in her throat made her eyes water.
"This isn't whiskey, it's brandy. And don't you dare tell Maddie that I have it, or she'll never stop scolding me."
Mable managed a smile.
Monsieur Lune placed the bottle back in the sideboard with a sigh. "Lady Mable, there is not much I more I can say. I have told you our side of the story, and now it is up to you to decide whether or not to believe it. There is nothing I can do or say that will absolutely prove that we are who we say we are." He spread his hands in a helpless gesture. "Our tale is fantastical, I know. If I were in your position, I wouldn't know if it was a hoax as well."
Mable stared at the glass in her hand. A few years ago, she mused, she might have been more than ready to believe this story. She would have been thrilled by the prospect of a hidden prince, an enchanted castle, a curse broken by true love. So why was it so hard to believe now? Had she really grown so jaded that she would dismiss it, even when the proof was right under her nose?
She wasn't staying anyway, she reasoned with herself. Once she was home, she could write this all off as a weird experience and move on.
It surprised her that she was a bit disappointed by the thought.
Monsieur Lune studied her. "Why don't we go back and re-introduce you to Master Theo." He suggested tentatively.
Mable didn't really want to, but the fact of the matter was she had nowhere to go until the snow let up. It would be best to at least try and be civil, for tonight, anyway.
"Ok." She placed her glass on the table and got up to follow Monsieur Lune to the door.
Smiling kindly at her, he opened the door and motioned for her to exit ahead of him. The brandy was hitting her head, making her lightheaded, so before she could veer to the side, she banged unceremoniously into someone.
Stuttering an apology, Mable took a step back to get a good look at her victim and gaped. It was as if someone had gathered all of Mable's insecurities about her looks and personified them into one gorgeous woman, and a sharp knife was plunged right into Mable's self-esteem. The woman, barely older than Mable, was taller than her by an inch, with the long legs of a model. Her sensible, navy dress was covered by a frilly white apron. An equally frilly cap was nestled on straight, black hair, which flowed neatly down to her shoulders. Mable felt distinctly grubby with her reddish-gold locks tied into a plump braid. The woman had a round face, but that only made her chocolate brown eyes, framed by the longest lashes Mable had ever seen, look even larger. Her lips were curved in a smile, and Mable's traitorous mouth smiled back.
Mable was incredibly glad she was not wearing her tattered sweatshirt and jeans.
"Pardon, Mademoiselle." The woman's voice was rich and feminine. "I was just coming to check on you. It is an honor to meet the lady who braved such a blizzard." Her brown eyes danced and she smiled at Mable, inviting her to share the joke.
"Lady Mable, may I introduce Madame Labelle? She is the Head Housekeeper here." Monsieur Lune gave Mable a gentle nudge into the hallway.
Madame Labelle grabbed Mable's hands and squeezed. "Oh, it is wonderful to meet you!" she exclaimed. "We have not had visitors in ages! Was everything in your room to your liking? I tried to make it as comfortable as possible for you."
Damn it, she was nice, too. "It was wonderful. I don't think I've slept so well in ages."
"Wonderful." Labelle beamed at her. "I'm happy to hear it. Now, where are you headed?" she asked Monsieur Lune.
"We were just going to find Master Theo and introduce him to Mable properly."
Labelle's eyes lit up. "Excellent! I will join you. I grew up with Theo, see," Before Mable could resist, she looped her arm through Mable's and led her down the hall. "We've known each other since we were children and, neither of us having siblings of our own, adopted each other as such." She told Mable as they journeyed down the hall, Monsieur Lune behind them. "If he gives you any trouble, let me know. I will not allow him to be impolite."
Mable's lips twitched. "He seemed rather…surprised, when he saw me." Disappointed, actually, but she wasn't going to complain.
Labelle made a noise that might have been a snort. "I suppose he was. It has been a long while since we have had anyone new at this place, so it was probably shock. Don't let him intimidate you." She warned, "He's really very sweet, but he had to grow up fast, so he occasionally forgets how to act like a human being."
Now it was Mable's turn to snort.
Labelle was still talking cheerfully, "I think tonight you two should have dinner together. Dinner is a great time to talk, and get to know each other…"
Mable immediately halted. "Whoa, whoa. Listen, I already told Monsieur Lune, I am not interested in this curse-breaking business." She told Madame Labelle firmly. She pulled her arm out of the other woman's. "Once the storm has cleared up tomorrow, I am out of here."
Madame Labelle was startled. "Oh, you're leaving us so soon? But I thought—"
Mable crossed her arms over her chest. "I have a sick father at home, and two sisters who are probably frantic. I can't stay here forever."
Madame Labelle and Monsieur Lune exchanged looks.
Didn't factor that into your little matchmaking plans, did you? Mable thought irritably. I highly doubt one dinner is going to make us fall head over heels for each other.
"Oh dear." Madame Labelle bit her lip anxiously. "We didn't expect…"
"Do not worry, Lady Mable" Monsieur Lune interrupted smoothly, "If you wish, you can certainly eat in your room. I do think you should experience the dining room at least once, though. Monsieur Carnier's planning on making you quite a feast tonight, and that sort of experience is always best in a more formal setting."
Mable's indignation deflated a bit. "Well, if Monsieur Carnier is going through so much trouble…I suppose I could try it."
Labelle grabbed her arm again. "Before dinner, you and I will look through that closet of yours and find you a beautiful gown to wear." She decided, "A formal dinner requires formal dress. And wearing a beautiful outfit can do wonders for one's confidence."
"I suppose that wouldn't hurt." Mable agreed, well aware that it was only because she wanted to explore the clothes in that closet one more time. As she was dragged down a flight of stairs, she asked, "Where are we even going?"
"The library." Madame Labelle told her. "After Lune pulled you away, Maddie and Theo went down to the library for their daily chess game."
Mable was escorted down the beautiful hallways. Each one had the same crimson carpeting. Ornate, golden sconces lit with real candles made the light in the corridors flicker, reflecting off the pale marble walls. Some halls were filled with similar, lovely paintings such as the ones Mable had seen on her way to breakfast. Others had tapestries, spun with expensive fabrics like silk and velvet, hanging on the walls. At the end of each hall was a table with a vase of flowers, though unlike the ones in the lower hallways, these held fragrant blooms like lavender and jasmine.
They clattered down a few of the marble staircases, headed toward the Crown wing, Madame Labelle said. Mable had no idea how they were supposed to get there without arriving back in the foyer, but after a maze of hallways they ended up in front of a huge, oak door with the word Library engraved on the nameplate.
As Madame Labelle opened the door for her, Mable gasped as all her fantasies came true. The room was enormous and circular, with a high ceiling painted like a summer sky, endlessly blue with wisps of clouds scattered about. In one corner of the mural was the sun, painted in burning reds, golds, and whites, which made Mable's eyes water just looking at it. A huge fireplace, big enough for her to stand in, burned merrily in the furthest corner of the room, crackling away while its light and heat wafted onto the chairs seated in front of it. There were several, each the soothing color of wet earth, each with a small table next to it. The room was simply lined with shelves and shelves of books, some with faded titles and other with bright, shiny titles that glistened in the firelight. The shelves reached to the ceiling, each with its own dark, wooden ladder to help an adventurer to the top to find the book they desired. Tall, metal candelabras were placed at intervals near each shelf of books. Mable thought that they must have been burning herbs in the wax because she could detect the clean smell of mint mixed with the smell of old books. Despite the fact that there weren't any windows to let in sunlight, the ceiling seemed to do all the work. The painted sun actually seemed to shine like a real sun, though not so bright that one couldn't admire the beauty of the cloudless sky.
"It's wonderful." She breathed. Oh, it had been so long since she had time to read a book for pleasure. Recently she just read medical journals, books of advice on how to care for an Alzheimer's patient, or books on home improvement to stay on top of home repairs. She hadn't had the time or the energy to just pick up a book and escape. She was a little afraid that if she did, she would never want to return to the real world where she was needed.
Her fingers itched to grab a book, curl up in one of those luxurious chairs and read until her eyes were tired.
Master Theo and Maddie were across the room. They had glanced up when their group had entered the library but were now huddled over a chessboard that sat on the table between them.
Mable trailed her fingers along the spines of some of the books, watching Master Theo out of the corner of her eyes. He wasn't so scary now, she thought, crouched as he was over a chessboard. Maybe it was the brandy, which was currently fizzing in her bloodstream, but he looked less intimidating and just odd. Or at least he was less formidable when he was smiling at the girl across from him.
"Maddie, it's been five minutes. Move something." He said. His voice held less of a growl when he was exasperated.
"I'm thinking." The girl retorted. Slowly, she picked up a piece and moved it.
Mable didn't know enough about chess to know if it was a bad move or not, but Master Theo shook his head. Casually, he knocked over a piece and told his companion, "Checkmate."
"Hmph." Maddie slumped in her chair.
"You'll win next time." Master Theo told her generously. He got up to stretch and caught Mable watching him. He stiffened.
"We thought it was past the time for proper introductions." Monsieur Lune said. If he noticed the tension in the air, he ignored it. "Lady Mable, may we introduce you to Master Theodore Beaumont? Master Theo, this is Lady Mable Lawrence."
Mable thought about holding a hand out to shake but thought better of it. She liked her hand and she didn't want to lose it "Nice to meet you."
"My pleasure." His tone made it clear that it was anything but.
A tense silence followed. Monsieur Lune seemed to content to just stand there, a bland smile pasted on his face. Maddie sat in her chair, eyeing the pair of them nervously. Only Labelle was watching them eagerly, eyes darting from one to the other, as if waiting for them to profess their undying love.
When it was obvious neither of them was going to speak, her shoulders slumped. "Well," she said, sounding a bit put out, "I'm sure you two will think of plenty to talk about at your dinner. Mable, perhaps we should—"
"Our dinner?" Master Theo interrupted. His face, which had remained stiff and wooden through their three-second exchange, shifted to alarm. Mable bet that, underneath the fur, his face had drained of color.
Labelle gave him a dazzling smile. "You and Lady Mable shall be having dinner together, tonight. We thought it was appropriate, since Monsieur Carnier is preparing quite the feast in Lady Mable's honor. It is proper etiquette that the Master dines with his guest."
Master Theo glanced at her. "Surely, Lady Mable, you would prefer to have dinner in private?" He seemed hopeful.
She certainly would, but now that she saw how uncomfortable it made him she was more than happy to twist the knife. "Well, I wouldn't want all the work Monsieur Carnier is doing to go to waste." She said, shrugging. She found it rather insulting that he was so against having dinner with her. If she wasn't a decent dinner companion, then what did that make him? "It's just for one night, anyway."
He blinked. "One night? What are you talking about?"
"I'm not staying." She told him. "I just need a place to crash for the night until the snow stops. Once it clears up, I need to get home. I have family who're looking for me." She added as an afterthought. She wanted to keep reminding these people that she had other priorities other than breaking their curse.
"Quite understandable, Lady Mable." Monsieur Lune told her graciously. "I'm sure they are incredibly concerned for your welfare. I can't imagine what your father is going through, not knowing where his daughter is." Maddie came over to wrap her arms around his waist, and he caressed her hair, as if to convince himself she was still there.
Mable pushed back the homesickness and envy that suddenly hit her. It had been a long time since her father had held her like that; solid, protective.
"Yes, I'm sure he is." She said. She was proud that she managed to keep her voice steady
Madame Labelle had managed to pull herself out of her slump. "Then why don't we go and prepare you for your dinner, Lady Mable?" she suggested brightly. "At least then you can tell them you were well-fed!"
Mable laughed. "Yes, I suppose that will make them feel better." And wouldn't Jeanne and Colette be so jealous that she spent these nights in a magnificent castle?
Madame Labelle turned and smiled at Master Theo. Mable didn't blame him for shrinking back from that smile; she would have too. "Now, Theo, be a dear and go get changed. It would just be silly if Lady Mable was all dressed up and you were wearing that outfit."
Master Theo shuffled from paw to paw. "Labelle…" he tried, but she would not be ignored.
"Monsieur Lune, why don't you go with him? I'll escort Lady Mable back to her rooms." There was a gleam in the other woman's eye that Mable didn't like. "Maddie, darling, why don't you come with us?" she grasped Mable's arm and nearly pulled Mable through the door. Instead, Mable just bumped into it as Madame Labelle continued walking as if the door was merely air.
Maddie opened the door and rolled her eyes at Mable. "Sorry," she whispered, "Sometimes Labelle forgets that not everyone has the power to walk through walls." She let a bemused Mable out the door ahead of her and closed it behind them.
When they were in the hall, Mable stared at Madame Labelle suspiciously. "If you think dressing me up and forcing me on a dinner date is going to get you guys a happily-ever-after, I'm afraid you're mistaken." She told her coldly. She didn't even want to comment on the walking through walls thing.
Madame Labelle put her hand on her heart, the picture of wounded dignity. "Now, Lady Mable, I am doing no such thing!" she exclaimed. "Honestly, this is for Theo more than it is for you. As the years have gone by, he's stopped bothering with proper etiquette. Most days he doesn't even leave his rooms."
"Except to play chess with me." Maddie pointed out.
"Precisely. He rarely acknowledges the staff, with the exception of Lune or me, and when he does he is so stiff and unfriendly that more often than not he terrifies them."
"So how will having dinner with me fix that?" Mable questioned.
"I think it has been the weight of so many years in this…exile that has made him so closed off," Madame Labelle explained. "He wasn't always like this, you know. He used to be friendly and good-natured. But so many years of war, death, and imprisonment have made him isolated, sullen. I hope that dinner with a lovely companion, such as you," she winked at Mable cheekily, "will help him see that there is hope to be found, even if you do not plan to stay with us for that long."
Mable thought that was asking a lot but didn't protest when Madame Labelle and Maddie started to lead her down the hall to her rooms.
"Now, my dear. Why don't we go to you room and find you something beautiful to wear?"
The gown was beautiful, Mable thought at dinner as she toyed with her silverware. A dark wintergreen, it was an old-fashioned dress with a velvet, long-sleeved bodice and a satin skirt. The modest neckline and high waist helped alleviate Mable's self-conscious tendencies, and even when she had stared critically at herself in the mirror, she had to admit she looked relatively good. Not nearly as lovely as Madame Labelle, but the green completed her hazel eyes and made her reddish-gold waves shine. The green and the candlelight had made her normally pale skin glow, enhanced by the delicate gold necklace and earrings Maddie had found for her in the closet.
"You don't have to worry so much about borrowing it," Maddie had just laughed at Mable's protests, "It's just going to go to waste in that closet and see how pretty to looks on you!"
Too bad the dress was wasted on her dinner companion.
Mable glanced down the disturbingly long table at Master Theo. He sat stiff-backed and cold, amber eyes on his wineglass. Mable had forgone the wine, and opted for the sweet, spiced cider that a server was now pouring for her.
Mable didn't know whether to hide, or throw up, or both. As a footman had pulled out her chair for her, she thought that, oh yes, she didn't belong here. The formal dining room was bigger than her living room and kitchen put together, the marble walls lined with crimson red velvet drapes and golden tassels. The table was long and shone from regular care. The place setting in front of Mable was upper class and confusing; she had no idea which fork to use. The ornate, gilded candelabras gave the room an operatic feel, but the candle's flickering light made the room seem shadowed and imposing.
Several footmen stood along the wall, waiting for instructions, and Mable could feel the weight of their stares on her shoulders, their desperate hope to be freed from this curse clinging to her like sweat on her skin.
The constant pressure was making her jumpy and even Monsieur Carnier coming over to offer her a choice cut of chicken made her wince.
The stifling atmosphere of the room made her dinner churn in her belly, even as she enjoyed the taste of the herb-roasted chicken, buttery potatoes and sautéed vegetables. She tried to distract herself from the stares of the men around her by chewing slowly and forcing her body to delight in eating a meal that didn't come from a box. But when she glanced up to take a sip of her cider and saw Master Theo staring at her from across the table, she involuntarily shuddered.
It wasn't out of fear of his appearance. In fact, she could even admit that he looked rather good in his "formal" attire, a black shirt trimmed with gold on the sleeves and chocolate slacks that didn't quite hide his shoeless paws. But when his golden eyes darkened, and he scowled at her, she wondered if she should be afraid.
"Is everything to your liking?" He was dangerously polite.
Mable nearly choked on her cider. "Yes," she managed. "It's all very lovely." She added, after dabbing her mouth with a napkin, like she'd seen high-class ladies on television do.
"I'm glad you approve." His tone was just snide enough to prick her temper.
Mable frowned. "I'm sorry," she said, fighting the desire to flip him off, "Did I do something wrong?"
He drained his wineglass and set it down with a smack. "You plan to leave tomorrow."
"Yes, like I told you-"
"After all we've done; took you in, gave you shelter, made sure you were comfortable, gave you every luxury, you are just going to leave? You aren't even going to try and break the curse?"
His audacity took her breath away. "Don't pretend like you want me here!" she snapped back. Frustration, hurt, and stress all piled on her until she thought she would collapse under the strain. "You and I both know I'm not what you want, that I'm not what you expected!"
"And so you run away!" he roared at her, making the footmen along the walls jump. "Leaving us to rot while you go back to your happy little family-" He was half-standing, crouched over his plate. Mable noticed with a little shiver that claws, thick as her pinkie, had unsheathed from his fingertips and scratching the varnished surface of the table.
Fighting the urge to run, she snarled "I wasn't the one who screwed up! I didn't go begging some stupid Fairy to change me into a monster; I didn't get my family and friends trapped in this place. Don't you sit there and blame me for not wanting to fix your mistakes!" she stood up from her own chair. "The only way to break the curse is to fall in love, you jackass. What did you think was going to happen? Some gorgeous woman just shows up and immediately fawns all over you? Suddenly your story has a happy ending, without you putting any effort into it all?" Tears of anger were blurring her vision enough so she couldn't read the expression on his face.
"Other women would probably be thrilled by the idea." He snapped at her.
"So, because your servants aren't assholes, I'm supposed to be grateful enough to just fall in love with you? I may read fairy tales but doesn't mean I want to be in one!" she shouted back. She'd had enough. "Why don't you be like a monster in a fairy tale and go to Hell!" she shrieked and stormed out of the room.
She strode down the hall, placing as much distance between herself and Master Theo as she could. Tears of humiliation and anger streamed down her cheeks, but she roughly wiped them away. She needed her eyesight clear so she could find her way back to her room. If she didn't, someone would find her and-
"Lady Mable, are you all right?" asked a familiar voice. Mable turned to see Madame Cecile standing a few feet behind her. The gentle concern on her face was just the thing to make Mable lose control.
"No, I'm not all right! I've been trying to wrap my mind around all of this, but nobody's given me the chance to just sit down and think! I need to straighten things out in my head before I can just jump into all this magic stuff. You people haven't even given me a moment to get my feet on the ground, and then you make me deal with that guy! He insults me and you all expect me to fall in love with him like some sort of storybook princess! No." Mable snapped when it looked like Madame Cecile was about to protest. "Don't give me any of that 'we don't expect anything from you, Lady Mable' shit! I know that's what you expect! This wasn't a dinner, it was a set-up. Why can't you understand, I just want to go home. I don't belong here; I don't want to belong here!" she wailed.
Madame Cecile had watched Mable's meltdown calmly, almost sympathetically. If she thought Mable was being unreasonable, she didn't show it. She hurried forward, arms outstretched. Instinctively, Mable buried her face in Madame Cecile's shoulder. Madame Cecile's only response was to stroke her hair, and murmur softly in French.
They stayed like that for a while, with Mable sobbing helplessly and Madame Cecile soothing her like she would a small child. Finally, Mable's sobs turned to sniffs, and she removed her head from Madame Cecile's shoulder.
"Feeling better, ma cherie?"
"Yeah, I just…I don't know, needed to vent a little. I'm sorry for yelling like that." Mable said, resisting the urge to wipe her nose on her sleeve like a five-year-old.
"You had every reason to yell" said Madame Cecile briskly. "You were right; we didn't give you enough time to get used to things here. Have you eaten your fill?" Mable nodded, startled by this abrupt change of topic. "Then there is no reason to return to the dining room. You must rest. Come, I will take you to your rooms, and you will go to bed." Madame Cecile's tone suggested that there would be no room for arguments.
Mable followed, mind whirling as she conjured up a plan. She was certain that if she stayed here, the same scene would happen tomorrow. These people were just too desperate, and she couldn't be the savior they needed.
Later, Mable waited until Madame Cecile had put her in bed and left the room. She grabbed her old things, which had been washed, folded and placed on the vanity. She rummaged in her jean pocket for her phone and set the alarm for four in the morning.
Tomorrow she would sneak out while everyone was still asleep. By the time they realized that she was gone, she would already be safe back home. There, she could pretend that she never heard of fairies, or curses, or men in disguise. Tomorrow night, this would all be nothing but a dream.